Around the island
We went snorkeling at Trunk Bay and Water Lemon Cay (as well as Francis
Bay, Maho Bay, Leinster Bay, Honeymoon Beach... ). Colorful reef
fish roam through underwater gardens with many species of coral.
Stingrays glided across the sandy bottom. One morning I got up early
and swam out to the grassy area in Francis Bay to look for sea turtles.
I watched three large turtles feeding in the morning sun (they head for
deeper water during the day). One or two remora--long fish
that live in a symbiotic relationship with the turtles-- hung from each
turtle's back, nibbling on the algae growing on the shell. When the
turtles rose to get a breath, the fish slipped to the turtle's underside,
then moved back to the top when the turtle dove again.
We kayaked to Henley Cay for lunch and still more snorkeling.
The coral was healthiest here, where there is less snorkeler traffic.
Notice the beach basalt--all these islands are volcanic. On a map
you can see that the Caribbean islands form an arc
along the subduction zone where the Caribbean plate meets the North
American plate.
The ferry docks in Cruz Bay. We spent some time there eating
and shopping. Sonia's hot sauce is both colorful and delicious!
The Saturday market raises money for the St. John carnival, which occurs
in July on the anniversary of emancipation. In the background, people
leaving the ferry are dressed soberly for Easter Saturday services.
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