first post!

[Alona]

I have been reading this wicked good forum since last year. That was our first trip to the Rock (August), STT and Tortola. Planning for next trip in July but trying a different itinerary. From STT to BVI, the Rock then back to STT. We have 12 nights. I would like to go the bubbly pool, and baths. Does anyone have a recommendation about where to stay on BVI? Pros cons vs VG and JVD?
I have to share my unexpected encounter on St John last year. I had heard there are no snakes (I'm scared to death of snakes) on St. John. I have been stung by a sting ray and had 2 foot surgeries from that encounter. I would be pissed off too if someone stepped on me. So I really am pretty diligent about letting all sea critters know I am coming their way. As I was walking down the beach I heard something fall into the water in front of me. The only place it could have fallen from was a tree that was in front of me leaning over the water.
Yikes! A head was sticking out of the water staring me! (about 6-7") It was a yellow/brownish head sticking straight up out of the water with a black body giving me the hairy eyeball. A snake! I screamed and scrammed out of there fast as I could! Scared the bajebbies out of me!
Guess I'm lucky? Or so I was told because they are almost extinct?
Can anyone comment? Has anyone else seen a snake? First time I'd seen one in the water like that. I've seen water moccasins and milk snakes but falling out of a tree in front of me and sticking its head up like that standing it's ground was a trip!
I stopped hyperventilating eventually! What did I see?

[vi lover]

Don't know what you saw, but WELCOME TO THE FORUM!

Just don't forget -- now that you are a full fledged contributor, you must submit a trip report after every island adventure!

[mindehankins]

Wow! I'd heard no snakes too, tho I'm not afraid of them. 6" sticking out of the water seems like a hella snake! I suppose a snake could stowaway on a boat?

[hairman]

You might want to cut back on the " PAINKILLERS"!

[philbetm]

OH CRAPPPP !!

WATER SNAKES ?????

I had also been told years ago that there were NO SNAKES on STJ. But the owners of a place we stayed at 2 years ago said...of course we have snakes...you just have to be in the right place at the right time to see them . Well HONEY...in my opinion there is NO RIGHT TIME ! That is my biggest Fear in the world and has been since I can remember being a little girl.
Oh boy, now I have to not only watch where I walk...but keep an eye on the water ! I think I just always assumed that the Mongoose kept them off the island.

But I am still going...

Sherry in SC

[Teresa_Rae]

I have spent approximately 99 days vacationing on STJ over the course of 9 trips and have never seen a snake. And I hope I never do!

[EagleRayLover]

This is a firstborn STJ that I don't need to experience!

[hugo]

Given what you described, there seem to be two possibilities:
1) This is an exotic snake that someone released from captivity, let's hope not a Burmese python.
2) What you saw was actually an iguana. I mention this because iguanas very frequently fall from trees into the water when humans walk under them. An iguana might look like a snake if you saw only the head??
Our native snakes are indeed very rare, and quite small, and totally non-aquatic
. How big was this head? And what beach we you on when this happened?

[hugo]

Here's another possibility: morays sometimes stick their heads out of the water (I have actually seen this). They do not climb trees, as far as I know ; ), but maybe the splash was something else?

[chrisn]

We saw a snake (brownish) on STT slithering into the vegitation at Coral World one year. There are snakes on STJ...it's just rare to see one.