Today, we spent the day in a set of beautiful tropical islands and, at the same time, we were in France. Îles des Saintes are part of the European Union, the language is French, and the currency is the euro. This morning we disembarked on the largest island of Les Saintes, Terre de Haute. With the Sea Cloud anchored at the scenic enclave of Bourg, some of us visited Fort Napoleon, guided by our historian Tom Heffernan. We enjoyed great views of the paradise-like scenery and also explored the maritime museum and cactus gardens of the fort.
We found a wonderful beach where we could snorkel, take a pleasant walk on the shoreline, or simply immerse ourselves into the blue waters of the Caribbean. The marine life at this place was rich and diverse. As we calmly floated in the warm waters, we could see many species of damselfish, wrasses, some cowfish, and even a few peacock flounder.
After leaving Îles des Saintes behind, we were followed by weak winds that were just enough for us to set sail. The crew of the Sea Cloud climbed the heights of our four-mast barque to work the sails and display the full majesty of this legendary ship. At a speed of roughly three knots, we deployed Zodiacs to circumnavigate our mother ship. This rare chance to take pictures and simply admire our luxury sailing yacht underway was quite a treat.
To our mellow afternoon at sea, we enjoyed a presentation called “Tropical Marine Ecosystems” and learned about some of the secrets normally well-kept under the Caribbean’s surface. After afternoon coffee with wonderful German pastries, like strudel, our expedition leader shared the Sea Cloud’s fascinating history.
