Tobago, Lesser Antilles
In mid-morning Sea Cloud II anchored in the hilly and lush surroundings of Man O’ War Bay, Tobago - one of the prettiest anchorages in the Caribbean. As customs officials met with our purser to clear us in to the nation of Trinidad and Tobago, I gave an illustrated presentation on the ecology of coral reefs. By the end of my talk, customs formalities were finished and we were free to leave the ship. We started with a fun and refreshing dip from the ship’s swim platform. Some of us dove from the platform 7 feet above the water, some of us jumped, some of us eased gently into the tropical, blue water via steps or ladder. It was pure luxury! Upon leaving the water, many of us donned thick terrycloth bathrobes and sipped glasses of champagne. Ahh… what a wonderful way to start a day!
In the afternoon we went ashore to the fishing village of Charlotteville for a short, steep drive over the hills to the village of Speyside. Glass bottom boats awaited us at the pier at the Blue Water Inn. We cruised slowly over Angel Reef as our guides pointed out corals, fishes and sponges. Parrotfishes, tangs and black durgons were easy to spot, as were the large sponges and swaying soft corals. Red-billed tropicbirds soared overhead. Back at the pier, liquid refreshments awaited us, and a steel drum band played Caribbean tunes.
We left laid back, quiet Tobago in late afternoon. As the anchor was lifted, sails were set, and Sea Cloud II sailed out of Man O’ War Cove. After dinner a large group of us gathered on the Lido Deck to appreciate the beautiful night sky. Tom O’Brien told stories of Greek gods and constellations, and as the tales unfolded, we learned our way around a large portion of the winter sky. We will be sailing overnight and all day tomorrow.
In mid-morning Sea Cloud II anchored in the hilly and lush surroundings of Man O’ War Bay, Tobago - one of the prettiest anchorages in the Caribbean. As customs officials met with our purser to clear us in to the nation of Trinidad and Tobago, I gave an illustrated presentation on the ecology of coral reefs. By the end of my talk, customs formalities were finished and we were free to leave the ship. We started with a fun and refreshing dip from the ship’s swim platform. Some of us dove from the platform 7 feet above the water, some of us jumped, some of us eased gently into the tropical, blue water via steps or ladder. It was pure luxury! Upon leaving the water, many of us donned thick terrycloth bathrobes and sipped glasses of champagne. Ahh… what a wonderful way to start a day!
In the afternoon we went ashore to the fishing village of Charlotteville for a short, steep drive over the hills to the village of Speyside. Glass bottom boats awaited us at the pier at the Blue Water Inn. We cruised slowly over Angel Reef as our guides pointed out corals, fishes and sponges. Parrotfishes, tangs and black durgons were easy to spot, as were the large sponges and swaying soft corals. Red-billed tropicbirds soared overhead. Back at the pier, liquid refreshments awaited us, and a steel drum band played Caribbean tunes.
We left laid back, quiet Tobago in late afternoon. As the anchor was lifted, sails were set, and Sea Cloud II sailed out of Man O’ War Cove. After dinner a large group of us gathered on the Lido Deck to appreciate the beautiful night sky. Tom O’Brien told stories of Greek gods and constellations, and as the tales unfolded, we learned our way around a large portion of the winter sky. We will be sailing overnight and all day tomorrow.
