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TR - shark week for us on STJ
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NoWorriesMom
- Posts: 150
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:45 pm
- Location: Boulder, Colorado
TR - shark week for us on STJ
Hi all! Ooh we had such fun! STJ 8 days. First night on STT at the Inn at Villa Olga. Decent place IF you get rooms 1 through 4 (got that tip here!). Walked to the ferry in the morning and without the kids on this trip we were IN LOVE. ƒº Jeep at Conrad Sutton¡¦s and we thought he was, gulp, surprise, really nice! Drove to Coral Bay on North Shore road. Oh that road! So beautiful. I called out every beach (¡§next up, Gibney etc.) and my husband said, ¡§yep, you¡¦re obsessed.¡¨
We had our first of many mango smoothies at centerline road. YUM! House not ready until two o¡¦clock so we went out South side road. My honey, Rick, really loves St. John now that we¡¦ve been out that way. Deer crossing the dirt road, tunnel of green. He exclaimed that it is ¡§like the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia but in the Caribbean.¡¨ He¡¦s happy, I¡¦m happy! We backtracked to Miss Lucy¡¦s for lunch. What a lovely spot. Pelicans were diving, the breeze blowing, baby goats crying out. I had chicken roti, Rick had the grouper reuben. I kept thinking ¡§worms, is that the fish with the worms?¡¨ But I couldn¡¦t remember and he didn¡¦t care so we just snarfed up our lunch.
Grabbed provisions: water, beer, Ting and Rum mostly and off to the house, Tree Frog Cottage. If you are a couple who can handle a Jeep it is a perfect spot. Beauty view off the deck, pretty interior, everything you need. We agreed with this theory though: there are no atheists in foxholes, on deathbeds, or on St. John driveways!
We drop off our stuff, throw on the suits and head to the place we¡¦ve been dying to get to: Francis Bay. That beach is it for us. I know we all have our favorites so you know that feeling when you are finally THERE right? We snorkel away and see, well, nothing. Cloudy water. But, we¡¦re in the ocean and as landlocked Coloradoans that is a good thing. So we head for the north side and glad we did. Water cleared up. We see rays, turtles, fish galore, small barracuda. We¡¦re having a relaxing happy float when Rick says ¡§are, are.¡¨ I pull my head up and say ¡§what?¡¨ SHARK. We¡¦re only in 6 or 7 feet of water, out far on the north side near the shore and he sees an 8 foot shark. We later determine it was probably a nurse shark but it was big and moving fast in toward the shore then out again and away. I never even saw it. But I sure did make a wake swimming to the beach. I know I cannot out swim anything in the ocean but I tried. Of course that¡¦s when Rick, who much more calmly made his way to our towels saw (insert me sighing with relief) the biggest barracuda he¡¦s ever seen, big thick tarpon sized. And he saw (insert me sobbing) a huge spotted eagle ray. Yep, because I panicked I missed that. It was so close to him and so big that the two pictures (will post those later) don¡¦t show the whole creature! Lucky man! We relax in the water, only a couple other people on the whole beach, and watch the sunset until the noseeums show up uninvited. We went ¡§home¡¨ for a shower and some drinks with crackers and all sorts of toppings we bought. Humus, baba ganoush, good cheddar. I do miss our children but I know I will also miss St. John the minute I¡¦m on the ferry so I¡¦d better enjoy it while I can. Next up: Haulover north and south then Leinster Bay where I miss another shark sighting, lucky me!
Oh, I almost forgot. At Francis I was SO DUMB I forgot to take off my tiny gold hoop earrings. Normally shy fish, like needle fish, were sort of darting at my head and I didn¡¦t know wtf until later when I realized. Good one right?
And the poor owners of Tree Frog, like many others I¡¦ve since read about, also had a water delivery the day we arrived because they were out, dry, nada. If only we all knew what was to happen just a few days later! Bye, thanks for reading!
We had our first of many mango smoothies at centerline road. YUM! House not ready until two o¡¦clock so we went out South side road. My honey, Rick, really loves St. John now that we¡¦ve been out that way. Deer crossing the dirt road, tunnel of green. He exclaimed that it is ¡§like the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia but in the Caribbean.¡¨ He¡¦s happy, I¡¦m happy! We backtracked to Miss Lucy¡¦s for lunch. What a lovely spot. Pelicans were diving, the breeze blowing, baby goats crying out. I had chicken roti, Rick had the grouper reuben. I kept thinking ¡§worms, is that the fish with the worms?¡¨ But I couldn¡¦t remember and he didn¡¦t care so we just snarfed up our lunch.
Grabbed provisions: water, beer, Ting and Rum mostly and off to the house, Tree Frog Cottage. If you are a couple who can handle a Jeep it is a perfect spot. Beauty view off the deck, pretty interior, everything you need. We agreed with this theory though: there are no atheists in foxholes, on deathbeds, or on St. John driveways!
We drop off our stuff, throw on the suits and head to the place we¡¦ve been dying to get to: Francis Bay. That beach is it for us. I know we all have our favorites so you know that feeling when you are finally THERE right? We snorkel away and see, well, nothing. Cloudy water. But, we¡¦re in the ocean and as landlocked Coloradoans that is a good thing. So we head for the north side and glad we did. Water cleared up. We see rays, turtles, fish galore, small barracuda. We¡¦re having a relaxing happy float when Rick says ¡§are, are.¡¨ I pull my head up and say ¡§what?¡¨ SHARK. We¡¦re only in 6 or 7 feet of water, out far on the north side near the shore and he sees an 8 foot shark. We later determine it was probably a nurse shark but it was big and moving fast in toward the shore then out again and away. I never even saw it. But I sure did make a wake swimming to the beach. I know I cannot out swim anything in the ocean but I tried. Of course that¡¦s when Rick, who much more calmly made his way to our towels saw (insert me sighing with relief) the biggest barracuda he¡¦s ever seen, big thick tarpon sized. And he saw (insert me sobbing) a huge spotted eagle ray. Yep, because I panicked I missed that. It was so close to him and so big that the two pictures (will post those later) don¡¦t show the whole creature! Lucky man! We relax in the water, only a couple other people on the whole beach, and watch the sunset until the noseeums show up uninvited. We went ¡§home¡¨ for a shower and some drinks with crackers and all sorts of toppings we bought. Humus, baba ganoush, good cheddar. I do miss our children but I know I will also miss St. John the minute I¡¦m on the ferry so I¡¦d better enjoy it while I can. Next up: Haulover north and south then Leinster Bay where I miss another shark sighting, lucky me!
Oh, I almost forgot. At Francis I was SO DUMB I forgot to take off my tiny gold hoop earrings. Normally shy fish, like needle fish, were sort of darting at my head and I didn¡¦t know wtf until later when I realized. Good one right?
And the poor owners of Tree Frog, like many others I¡¦ve since read about, also had a water delivery the day we arrived because they were out, dry, nada. If only we all knew what was to happen just a few days later! Bye, thanks for reading!
that was a fun read...thanks for sharing; glad you had fun too...
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nothintolose
- Posts: 1960
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 10:36 pm
- Location: New Orleans, LA
Funny that you compared it to the Blue Ridge Mountains. My favorite place used to be the mountains of Western North Carolina (Blue Ridge included) until my first trip to St. John.
Part of what I felt was that it reminded me of everything I loved about North Carolina and it's beautiful mountains but with that gorgeous turquoise water minus the gorgeous rivers and waterfalls.
I think I saw that barracuda two summers ago! I have never seen one that big before! It was awesome yet a bit creepy.
Thanks for the report!
Part of what I felt was that it reminded me of everything I loved about North Carolina and it's beautiful mountains but with that gorgeous turquoise water minus the gorgeous rivers and waterfalls.
I think I saw that barracuda two summers ago! I have never seen one that big before! It was awesome yet a bit creepy.
Thanks for the report!
"Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die" - Dave Matthews Band
Two years ago I was snorkling at Maho and a HUGE cuda swam right up next to me and passed me. I swear he even looked back at me to see what my reaction was. To tell the truth it kind of shook me a little bit. That guy was probably 5 feet long!! There's just no mistaking the head and mouth of a baracuda but that guy was a big as any tarpon I've ever seen.
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nothintolose
- Posts: 1960
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 10:36 pm
- Location: New Orleans, LA
We saw the biggest barracuda EVER at Francis Bay, on the right side. It was only in a couple feet of water right off the shore and its fins were actually sticking out of the water! That's how we first noticed it. I put my mask on to take a look and get a picture and holy cow did I get freaked out! It was the hugest, thickest barracuda ever.
Looking forward to more of your report and the pictures!
Looking forward to more of your report and the pictures!
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
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piscesgirl0314
- Posts: 598
- Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 12:31 pm
- Location: Chesapeake, VA
Hey, that was my shark!!! Too funny. My wife & I saw it on the back side of Pelican Rock on Satuday. We were following a couple of big fish around a corner and there it was....WOW!!! Very eye opening to say the least...I had a brave (knuckle headed?) moment and told my wife to get a picture...not a good idea in her view...so we went quickly back to shore. What I found strange was it's head was shaped similar to a Catfish head....Over Conch Fritters, Vie said it was the resident Nurse Shark. I put it's length at 10' - my wife says 9 feet.
Happy to have seen it, hope I don't see another!
Happy to have seen it, hope I don't see another!
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NoWorriesMom
- Posts: 150
- Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:45 pm
- Location: Boulder, Colorado
NoWorries - Actually, we're still in STJ and having a great time....we also saw another nurse shark (I say 4' - my wife says 5 feet.) We've had to combat the lingering algae and the turbidity from the heavy rain, but between the yucky areas we've managed to find some pretty clear spots and run into all sorts of sea life....the eagle rays are amazing...even managed to get one on underwater video.
Heading back out today....
Heading back out today....