Cooler Climates

Returning to Gorda Sound, the children spotted a familiar super yacht on the AIS - Panthalassa had arrived after they last lusted after her in Antigua. They pestered us for a closer look so we ventured ashore. It may have been cheaper to buy time on the yacht as the trip resulted in drinks, ice-cream, conch fritters and a movie shore before we staggered back to Croix des Gardes.

It's definitely feeling a little cooler now. We wanted long sleeved tops when we went ashore. Nighttime temperatures are now falling to a pleasant 24C but still rising to 29C during the day. The sea temperature has dropped to 25C which follows with more coral and fewer sponges.

Teeming reef off George Dog, BVIs

The BVIs consist of a few large inhabited islands and lines of smaller rocky cays. These latter hold the region’s best dive sites and I got to explore The Visibles. This is part of a group of islands called The Dogs – Great Dog, West Dog, Seal Dogs and George Dog. The underwater landscape was as dramatic as the jagged granite rocks above the surface and in the strong surge and current, every surface was colonised by hard and soft corals, with fish teeming everywhere. It demonstrates what a difference lack of habitation makes to an underwater ecosystem.
















It is decidedly cooler now. We awake to a mere 24C which is chilly in the fresh trade winds. It still warm up to 29C during the day, but again the sea temperature has also dropped to 24 making us feel the chill when we emerge after a swim. Despite this, the children spent the whole afternoon in the gentle shores of Trellis Bay where they played and hunted (successfully) for conches.