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Location: Cane Garden Bay, Tortola
Hey everyone! It’s Annabelle here as skipper today. The morning started out in a very pleasant way, with Riley playing “Call to Arms” (if you don’t recognize the name, I promise you still know the song), a stark contrast to the usual reggae we hear. But regardless of the song, walking onto the deck of Hagan Time feels like I’m still dreaming. Floating, surrounded by islands covered by trees and colorful houses, is the best way possible to wake up. As everyone rose from bed, Lia moved to the kitchen to make some delicious pancakes for breakfast (my personal favorite, especially slathered in Nutella because everything is better with Nutella). Soon after cleaning up, we were off! Decked out in our fins and snorkels, we headed out in Blaze, one of our dinghies, into Lee Bay on Great Camenoe to search for sea turtles. A group of shippies (Maya, Amelia, Lia, Bella, and Coco) found one! Unfortunately, it was too fast and too far away for them to catch and tag it; however, any information about sea turtles is good information. Meanwhile, Ella and I — blissfully unaware — continued to snorkel, being towed by Siena and Heloise in Blaze and taking pictures of this beautiful environment courtesy of Ella’s waterproof camera. After recharging on the boat with chicken salad and mac & cheese, we gathered our gear yet again and set out in Monkey Point. The crystalline water provided a clear view into a world not everyone gets to see. Fish of every shape and color darted in and out of rocks as we passed over, and plants that appeared to be from an alien planet flowed in the current. Alas, we were unable to find any sea turtles in this location, but other sea creatures also caught our eye. Bella found a squid, and Maya found three stingrays!! Tired from hours of swimming today, we eagerly returned to the boat and set out for our final location for the day: Cane Garden Bay. This bay is a popular tourist and water sports spot, which became evident as we entered the area and saw a couple of jet skis cruising across the water (all of us were jealous and wished we could try driving one). After our ocean shower (and a Hibicleanse shower), Lia and Heloise set about making dinner (chili and rice) while everyone else wandered the boat chatting or reading. Luckily for Siena (our deckie for the day), we didn’t make too much of a mess tonight. Soon after, we started a documentary on Netflix called Seaspiracy (if you haven’t seen this, I highly recommend you watch it when you get a chance). As a documentary lover, who looked forward to watching it all day, this was one of the best ones I’ve seen. But even for those who normally didn’t gravitate towards documentaries, Seaspiracy was a hit. We learned about how every aspect of the fishing industry impacts the marine environment. Yes, it is sad, but it is also incredibly informational and impactful. As we watched the film, Bella, Amelia, and Lia (the bakers of the boat) baked a yellow cake with chocolate frosting — definitely a highlight of the day for everyone. Well, we better rest up for tomorrow; we’ve got a big day ahead of us! To everyone reading this from our homes, we love and miss you, and we’re all doing great! For now, we’ll try to enjoy the six days we have left in the paradise of the British Virgin Islands because we’ll be home before we know it.
Skipper Annabelle signing off!!
Question of the day: Where do you see yourself in 10-15 years?