Anguilla, Lesser Antilles
Overnight we sailed (literally!) silently over gently rolling seas, the only sounds were the flapping of lines and sails and the hull of the Sea Cloud II slicing through the dark waters. We are exploring the Caribbean Sea, second largest sea in the world, dotted by innumerable volcanic and coralline islands, cays, shoals and reefs. More specifically we have been spending several days in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, thus named due to their position in the lee of the north-blowing winds predominant in the area.
We awoke this morning alongside the British dependency of Anguilla – the most northerly island of the group. Bare and flat (it is formed of uplifted limestone rather than volcanic activity), Anguilla is fringed by white sand beaches. It is 16 miles long and a maximum of 3.5 miles wide; its long thin shape gave the island its name (from the French anguille, translated as eel). The territory includes several small, uninhabited offshore islets, among which are the Prickly Pear Cays. Our Expedition Leader, Tom, had it on very good authority that despite the unwelcoming name these islets were a jewel, and relatively hard to land on as they are managed privately. Arrangements were made however, and our captain took the Sea Cloud II into the area an expedition stop for the very first time at the cays.
The low-lying islets were covered in scrubby vegetation including the cacti they were named for, but seemed to be a great favourite with nesting sea birds, as large numbers of brown boobies and white-tailed tropic birds were circling overhead. Beautiful white beaches lined the shores, and a couple of small and charming Caribbean-flavoured bars were opened up for us to enjoy.
Snorkeling proved to be excellent here, as the lagoon coral that had received quite a battering in a past hurricane was beginning to regenerate and provided protective shelter for a large number of colourful reef fish. Parrotfish, wrasse, grunts, snappers, butterfly fish and more darted around below us, as we floated about in the warm tropical waters. Many of us also strolled the pristine beach, where we observed a lot of coastal zone vegetation and the tracks made up the sand dune by a nesting sea turtle. In the shallows at the far side of the beach, we even came across four or five young nurse sharks chasing schools of tiny fish – quite an exhilarating and lively show!
Once back on board for lunch, we set sail from anchor, a manoeuvre not often performed on board our captain informed us, and enjoyed the feeling of being at the mercy of the elements one last time before setting our course back to Antigua and the end of an unforgettable week.
Overnight we sailed (literally!) silently over gently rolling seas, the only sounds were the flapping of lines and sails and the hull of the Sea Cloud II slicing through the dark waters. We are exploring the Caribbean Sea, second largest sea in the world, dotted by innumerable volcanic and coralline islands, cays, shoals and reefs. More specifically we have been spending several days in the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, thus named due to their position in the lee of the north-blowing winds predominant in the area.
We awoke this morning alongside the British dependency of Anguilla – the most northerly island of the group. Bare and flat (it is formed of uplifted limestone rather than volcanic activity), Anguilla is fringed by white sand beaches. It is 16 miles long and a maximum of 3.5 miles wide; its long thin shape gave the island its name (from the French anguille, translated as eel). The territory includes several small, uninhabited offshore islets, among which are the Prickly Pear Cays. Our Expedition Leader, Tom, had it on very good authority that despite the unwelcoming name these islets were a jewel, and relatively hard to land on as they are managed privately. Arrangements were made however, and our captain took the Sea Cloud II into the area an expedition stop for the very first time at the cays.
The low-lying islets were covered in scrubby vegetation including the cacti they were named for, but seemed to be a great favourite with nesting sea birds, as large numbers of brown boobies and white-tailed tropic birds were circling overhead. Beautiful white beaches lined the shores, and a couple of small and charming Caribbean-flavoured bars were opened up for us to enjoy.
Snorkeling proved to be excellent here, as the lagoon coral that had received quite a battering in a past hurricane was beginning to regenerate and provided protective shelter for a large number of colourful reef fish. Parrotfish, wrasse, grunts, snappers, butterfly fish and more darted around below us, as we floated about in the warm tropical waters. Many of us also strolled the pristine beach, where we observed a lot of coastal zone vegetation and the tracks made up the sand dune by a nesting sea turtle. In the shallows at the far side of the beach, we even came across four or five young nurse sharks chasing schools of tiny fish – quite an exhilarating and lively show!
Once back on board for lunch, we set sail from anchor, a manoeuvre not often performed on board our captain informed us, and enjoyed the feeling of being at the mercy of the elements one last time before setting our course back to Antigua and the end of an unforgettable week.
