So Good Again- Real Time Trip Report 2009

liamsaunt · Post by **liamsaunt** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 9:46 am

Agent99, the speckled fish is a juvenile damselfish. There are always tons of them at Blue Cobblestone.

cindygad · Post by **cindygad** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 9:59 am

Loving your report. I have a question for you that snorkel at blue cobblestone. What and where do you enter at? The day we were there it was pretty rough and we could not find a good place to enter. Does anyone ever enter from salt pond and snorkel around?

Exit Zero · Post by **Exit Zero** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 10:33 am

99 - great shots - thanks! Have you noticed any evidence of the algae bloom in your snorkeling the last few days? Cobblestone on the South side looked clear - but yesterday I was at Scott and Lovango and both had very limited visibility with a lot of green particles. Your real time posting has been awesome.

Agent99 · Post by **Agent99** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 4:10 pm

Thanks folks. Liamsaunt, I knew you would know! What a beautiful fish.

Exit, I am probably the wrong person to ask. I have felt that the clarity of water has not been optimum but I thought it was because there was a bit of a chop kicking things up. It has been very breezy and there is more of a swell than I remember in Aprils past.. Waterlemon was not as I remember it but Gallows, on the opposite side of the island has been better, at least in terms of the health and variety of coral than I remember in years past. I'll post some more snorkel photos now if Photobucket will cooperate.

Agent99 · Post by **Agent99** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 4:59 pm

These few photos are from snorkeling at Blue Cobblestone, just beyond Salt Pond Beach. The first one gives an idea of water clarity as of yesterday.

These photos below are from Gallows. Now that I know that it is algae causing a decrease in visibility, I'd have to say that Gallows was clearer. At the time I thought it was because it was deeper and the sand was not as kicked up.

mountaingoat · Post by **mountaingoat** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 8:30 pm

thanks for posting these pics. The algae is visable, I think, from your pics. It would be very interesting to see if things are getting either better or worse with time. The Blue Cobblestone pics shows the water much murkier than what I saw last years. I'm a bit worried about my upcoming trip

Berlingirl · Post by **Berlingirl** » Fri Apr 24, 2009 11:05 pm

Agent99...was over at Gallows tonight and somebody who was staying in 8 (I think I read that somewhere your in that building) was renting a DVD in the shop...wondered if it was your DH? I almost said something as he was standing next to me, but didn't want to get a weird look if I asked some guy if he was Agent99's husband and he didn't have a clue what I was talking about. I stopped there cuz there was no parking in anywhere near Wharfside (even Slims was full) and I had to pick up a quick gift as we leave tomorrow...I remembered the store from when we stayed there a few years ago and headed over. I can tell you our unit was great, but yours is beautiful. We stayed in 9 back then.

We're packed and ready to go tomorrow...have an early flight...very sad.

Agent99 · Post by **Agent99** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 8:40 am

I'm so sorry that we missed you Berlingirl. It wasn't 86 that you saw in the shop because we had rented dvds earlier in the day from the store over near Starfish. I do love the shop that you stopped into though. They are very nice in there and act as concierge to Gallows as well as run the shop. We've booked excellent day trips through them in the past. Have a safe trip home.

The pouring rain hitting the roof last night was music to my ears. It's another one of those half-conscious sounds that I love to wake up to. I know that the residents must be glad but am betting it will take more than those few hours of downpour to fill the cisterns. This morning the sun is out and everything is fresh and dewey.

Yesterday at Gibney again

Pretty sunset

cptnkirk · Post by **cptnkirk** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 9:07 am

These live reports are great, nice pics too

Glad to see you can still see some stuff with the bloom. Hopefully it will be all gone in a few weeks or at least not get worse. I didn't get to do near enough snorkeling last trip cause of the north swells. The juvenile damselfish are one of my faves they sure are cute when little, wonder why they loose those beautiful neon spots when mature. I love to watch them defend there territory against fish ten times there size, they sure have attitude.
OHHH that pepper encrusted tuna is the bomb isn't it, great bungholios of fire it is hot stuff but man it's good

cptnkirk · Post by **cptnkirk** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 9:24 am

cindygad
You can snorkel all the way around if ya want long snorkel though. If ya enter at the end of Cobblestone go far right at the very end by the cliff. I got on my belly and just slid in so not to step on any urchins. If ya wear fins just walk right in there. As you get to the cliffs when they turn to the right heading towards Saltpond go out staight just a little ways. There is a reef that comes up from the deep that is great.

cindygad · Post by **cindygad** » Sat Apr 25, 2009 12:06 pm

cptnkirk,

Thanks for the entry info on blue cobbelstone. We hiked rams head then tried to snorkel there last year but it was too rough. We are looking forward to trying again next Jan when we will be in St John for 17 days. I can't wait. We snorkeled salt pond but I think it would be too long a snorkel to go all the way around. I justed wandered if many had done that.

Agent99 · Post by **Agent99** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 8:01 am

Cindygad, it was a little intimidating getting in the water at Blue Cobblestone, I thought. We'd read to go out on the pebbly right side as capnkirk suggests but I was worried about urchins too and it was a little rough. Once in though it was clear of urchins so just a little wobbley getting out. I also was concerned about a possible current there but it was an easy swim around to the right.

Another noneventful day except for Sox fans.

From Hawksnest. Maybe a still a little hazy but still beautiful.

Another pretty sunset. Just 2 more to go. Sniff.

Does anyone know this fellow's story? I heard someone walking by one day say that they thought the grave was disrespectful. I disagree. Someone lovingly arranged a blanket of shells on top and gave him his hat. Something about it is very touching.

cptnkirk · Post by **cptnkirk** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 8:57 am

My favorite group of tangs at Hawksnest

See those guys every trip, love to just follow them around and watch them forage on the algae. Your pics are getting me pumped for sure!

mbw1024 · Post by **mbw1024** » Sun Apr 26, 2009 10:16 am

GREAT sunset picture!

Agent99 · Post by **Agent99** » Mon Apr 27, 2009 7:52 am

Today is our last full day.

It was lots of fun meeting the good folks at the Beach Bar. I hadn't realized that a few people were confused by my reference t my DH as 86. For the folks who may not be 60s sitcom buffs. Maxwell Smart was Agent 99's boyfriend and later husband in the series. He was known as Agent 86 to KAOS, the spy org that they both worked for. Otherwise I would have surely dubbed him 110.

We haven't been dining out much this trip, mostly getting take out and hanging out with movies but last night we made reservations at the Waterfront Bistro after we spent some time at the forum gathering. It was fantastic. I had the roasted chicken, 86 the filet, #1 the seared scallops and #2 the mussles. Every dish, every side, every bite was scrumptious. The table was beautiful. The location on the beach just can't be beat. 8 thumbs up from here.

usvi-on-line

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So Good Again- Real Time Trip Report 2009