Alpha 3 & Tango 3, Day 9: A Snorkel and a Beach Afternoon
Written and edited by Meredith Evridge
While our campers were still dreaming, the staff woke up extra early to motor us around the corner to Lee Bay. It was about a fifteen minute trip and we looked forward to a snorkel. Everyone woke up and greeted the day. Our fleet was the only presence in this little bay. We had it all to ourselves! On each boat, the DJ of the day turned up the bass to get everyone’s blood pumping. Breakfast buffet was spread out, a taste of routine in an ever-changing environment. The last of the milk was slurped from the cereal bowls and the remainder of the bagels and cream cheese were savored. Those on breakfast clean cleared away the debris and we all prepared for a snorkel!
Being shuttled a few minutes away from our boats, we clustered at a more shallow area that was surrounded by beautiful, rugged rocks. We slid on our snorkel masks and fins. Our captains and mates instructed us on the best way to enter the water, holding on with one hand to the front of the mask, and the other hand cupping the back of it. Our feet close together, we fell backwards out of the dinghy and our underwater exploration began. The whole fleet enjoyed seeing what was under the surface, spotting colorful parrot fish, squirrel fish, sea urchins, jellyfish, baby barracuda, squid and a baby nurse shark.
Full of excitement from our morning in the vibrant sea, we were reminded again how much goes on underwater even though we can’t see it from where we live on boats. We returned to our home boats to prepare to raise anchor.
Lunch was made underway. A sumptuous combination of ground turkey, peppers, onions sour cream and cheese was laid out for all to load up on. It tasted so good and filled us up to the brim! Our sails were set for Anegada. Having heard that we’d see the trees first, due to it being a flat island, we all pointed at the outline rising slowly from the horizon. Slowly, other distinguishable features came into view. At the same time, the water surrounding us lightened to a beautiful turquoise. It was a beautiful sight. It didn’t last too long though because above our heads, the skies turned to grey. Accustomed to the quickly changing weather here, we raced to close our hatches. The rain began to pour. It would be a rainy day in Anegada, but we’d make the best of it!
We all headed ashore and were picked up by our staff in rented trucks. Pulling up to Loblolly Bay, we tumbled out next to a sign that read, “Big Bamboo.” This is the beach we spent the afternoon at, learning to balance on the slackline, grabbing bats and balls from our toy bag and hitting them back and forth, visiting the small gift shop, and enjoying some treats from the ice cream shop. At 5:45, we were invited to be seated by the kind hosts and hostesses at the restaurant. Our dinner was served, hot and fresh and really good. Some had ordered shrimp or fish while others opted for steak, ribs or chicken. Many compliments from the campers were over heard about the high quality of the meal!
The ice cream shop was open for business the whole time we were there and everyone really enjoyed indulging in a scoop or two of the creamy, rich dessert. Jumping in the trucks when the sun was down, we returned back to our dinghies that ferried us to home boats. We wrapped up our beach afternoon with showers and fresh, dry clothes, boat meetings, and bedtime.
