Kelly showed up a little after eight and we headed north into a stiff wind for a twenty-five minute sail towards horseshoe reef. On the way he pointed out conch island and the the pink flock of flamingoes feeding on shrimp and krill on a shallow reef, both of which we would get closer to on the way back). The snorkeling was the best I’ve seen anywhere, with the most fish and the healthiest coral. We circled two small reefs, with Kelly diving down to look for lobster and keeping his eye on all of us. The reef was between five and fifteen feet deep, with schools of blue tang, Barbados grunts, yellowtail and countless neon blue and yellow tropicals.
We didn’t see any dead or bleached coral, perhaps because the population of Anegada is 250 and the only other boat we saw was a bone fishing charter near the mangroves behind conch island. Kelly suggested that we swim up-curent and then drift back to the boat and do as much of the second reef behind the boat as we felt we could We are all strong swimmers and we stayed together because the current was strong, We were in the water for perhaps an hour and were glad to have rash guards, which keep you moderately warmer. In spite of his efforts, Kelly didn’t come up with a lobster on the first dive but we each found a prize queen conch and Steve found a helmet conch that Kelly promised to show us how to clean at conch island.The conchs were all over the sand bottom. The hardest part was getting back into the boat, but we managed it and went in for a second snorkel at a second reef. Kelley went up to a further reef and came up what must be a four to five pound lobster. We sailed back to conch island, a one hundred by ten foot high island of gorgeous conch shells. Kelly demonstrated how to clean the conch with a hammer and a butter knife and then showed us how to clean the animal. A helicopter went over, startling the flock of flamingoes but the settled into their pink island again and we approached slowly and quietly. When we were perhaps thirty feet from the flock, they took off in a cloud of pink and black, one of the most astounding sights I’ve ever seen. We got to see them do a low circle and settle again onto their feeding reef. Back at our boat, Kelly cleaned the rest of the conch meat and cut our gigantic lobster in two so we could cook it on the grill. He told us to soak both in water with a little vinegar before cooking and also gave us his recipe for conch ceviche, basically lime, onion and manage or orange and green pepper. We will also attempt a coconut cracked conch. All in all the best excursion ever and worth every bit of the sixty dollar a head cost.
We sailed for Cane Garden Bay around one after a lunch of pasta salad with crab, tomatoes, olives, celery, feta, peas, and slaw. The MIT crew, 300 MBA graduates, were just arriving in port, and the moorings were going to be full. Lots of flying fish as we approached Tortola. When we arrived in Cane Garden Bay a little after five, we were greeted by a large green turtle surfacing for air and eyeing us. We celebrated the amazing day with rum punch. By the time we got ourselves together to head into town, it was past six, but luckily Bobby’s Market was still open because we needed more bread, sunscreen, bleach for the conch shells and mango, orange and lime for the ceviche.
Cane Garden Bay
The town of Cane Garden Bay is charming—one palm tree lined street beside the water with a school, aboveground graveyard, lovely ship-like Baptist church with windows shaped like the prows of ships. Myett’s has a lovely tree covered courtyard and palm lined beach. The sun was setting on a picture post card palm lined beach with Jost Van Dyke silhouetted against the setting sun on the horizon.
I set to work on the ceviche—lime juice and orange and salsa. The dark part of the conch foot covering (the operculum) had to be cut off and the conch chopped and marinated for fifteen minutes. It was delicious served with corn chips. The lobster was done one at a time on the grill (which would accommodate twelve pieces of chicken but only one lobster half).
A little garlic butter and it was heaven, enough for all six of us with sides of coleslaw and pasta salad.Tart key lime pie for dessert. The stars came out and we could see the light sprinkled island of St.Thomas twenty miles away on the western horizon.