Monday January 10
We headed out of Norman Island to Peter Island and Great Harbour. The wind was pretty steady 20 knots and big seas so we motored since it was a windward leg. We picked up a mooring near the Ocean Beach club and enjoyed the swimming and little beach there.
In the afternoon we hiked over through the Peter Island Resort to Dead Man’s Bay. The kids were fascinated with the coconut trees and determined to harvest one and enjoy it. Meanwhile we tried to dissuade them from destroying the well-manicured landscaping of the resort.
After the return to the boat the kids headed to the Beach club to bounce on their giant water trampoline and seesaw! They were quite a site to see.
Tuesday, January 11
We left Peter Island and picked up a park service day mooring at the wreck of the RMS Rhone at Salt Island. The seas were really rough with big swells and the winds steady 20 knots. The Rhone was a masted royal mail ship that was wrecked in a hurricane in 1867. It was fascinating to snorkel over the wreck. It was very easy to see one end of the ship and some of the masts in 30ft. of water. We also spotted our very first sea turtle making his way along the wreck- a hawkbilled sea turtle.
Cooper Island, Manchoneel Bay-
After lunch we continued to Cooper Island and picked up a very calm mooring in Manchoneel Bay. We enjoyed the swimming, snorkeling and the Cooper Island Beach Club! The weather was calm and nicer for the afternoon.
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| Beautiful Deadman's Bay! |
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| Sand castles at Cooper Island |
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| Goofin' on the bow at sunset. |
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| The boys first scuba dive! |
Dive Day at Cooper Island!! We had made arrangements for the guys to do an “exploratory “ scuba dive for Wednesday morning. The learned the basics of scuba, practiced with gear in shallow water, and went out and did a 40 ft. dive on a coral reef named Thumb Rock off the southern tip of Cooper Island. They loved it and came back tired and starving! They were excited to see a yellow fin tuna feeding on a school of fish, a moray eel, lots of parrot fish, and finally a greater variety of coral with much bettter colors (red, purple, green and blue) than the previous sites we have snorkeled.
The afternoon brought more unsettled weather clouds and wind shifting. We were in for another night of showers and strong gusts.
Looks like you guys are having a great time!! We have had 2.5 snow days here in the last week! You're weather looks much more inviting!
ReplyDeleteKids are having a dreamlike experience. How are the grown ups doing? Is there an aspiring youthful photographer there who wants to take some pictures of Mom and Dad doing funny stuff?
ReplyDeleteNow we are talking. Next step is a cave dive with Uncle Sam in Mexico. Alright boys?
ReplyDelete