Mostly Harmless at Mayreau
At Dave’s Bayaleau Point Cottages resides Mostly Harmless, Dave’s twin outboard motor island tour boat and on Friday I was able to go for a day trip to the Tobago Cays.
It was a beautiful day, almost picture postcard perfect. The wind of the past few days had slacked which had blown in some haze from Africa. This gave us visibility of over 20 miles and a mostly flat sea, save for the swells between the islands.
The southern Grenadines, are a spectacular collection of small islands, reefs and sand bars in (when conditions allow) stunningly clear waters. Tobago Cays and the surrounding islands for some snorkeling was our destination.
We were 4 passengers and Captain & Crew. Andy and Dane, a couple of local Windward (villages near Bayaleua Point) seamen. Windward is an amazing place by its own right, being the center of a resurgence of traditional boat building that began in the 1800′s with a Scottish fishing village.
We passengers were Bart & Molly, Bart’s sister Mary Lou and myself. I had a dive or two with Bart & Molly early in the week and it was a good opportunity to get better acquainted. Dave had stocked the boat with ample beverages; water, iced tea, beers and his notorious Rum Punch, which I can attest to being quite good and just potent enough.
We left a bit after 10am and headed across to Petite Martinique, which along with Carriacou make up the tri-island state of Grenada, for a brief fuel stop and then it was north to Tobago Cays.
I don’t know how long the passage took, perhaps a half an hour or so… maybe more…. time seems to evaporate here. I was very grateful for the calm seas and fortified with a local sea sickness medicine, Sturgeon Forte and the beautiful sky and sea. The swells came at us from the southeast and while there was some up & down and side to side sway, easily manageable for me.
Approaching the keys, we slowed and maintained the natural life preserve speed limit. The collection of moored yachts, sail & motor, made clear the popularity of this amazingly beautiful location. We dropped anchor in a bit of sand, careful not to disturb the many reefs around us and quickly got our snorkel gear ready.
Andy, our outgoing Captain, gave us the lay of the land… or sea as it twas… letting us know that it was easiest to swim and snorkel to the front of Mostly Harmless as the current would make it easier for us to return to the boat for the next stop.
Did I mention how beautiful and clear the water was? It was around 10-15 feet deep at the deepest where we were and absolutely stunning. Once in the water, I knew I had to come back for another trip. I did bring my new Sealife DC1200 underwater camera, but I had not tested the housing at depth and so left it on board – such a difficult thing to do when I found my own little reef and was surrounded by small schools of all kinds of reef fish.
I soon lost track of time and where my fellow passengers were until I came up and thought it might be good to not stray too far. Mostly Harmless was close enough, so I went further forward of her toward ythje edge of the reef where we were.
I am such a novice at this I have little idea of all the names of all the fish and sea creatures I came across, though a few I do know like Parrot Fish that nibble on coral with their parrot beak mouths and expel a bit more white coarl sand whenever they defecate; I saw several small and larger of these.
A few other creatures of note include a Sea Caterpillar (not sure of its real name) crawling across the bottom with its fuzzy feet and some sea snails that I do know the names; Flamingo Tongues. The profusion of fish is amazing… I will be back with the tested underwater camera so I can share a trifling of this amazing beauty.
Even though I was getting a bit chilled I had to continue and so slowly, very slowly let the current and these colorful delights ease my way back toward the boat. When I saw everyone else on deck, I decided I could use a beer and a bite and a bit of sun to warm back up. Little did I know or recall how well the sun was doing its job on my back.
We paused for a bit of lunch on deck and as were were munching a couple of park rangers passed by in their boat to collect the fees for our visit; something I hadn’t realized was needed, but very happy to see… Dave’s fee for our trip included the park fees.
As the rangers pulled long side, Andy & Dane not only passed of the fees, but offered them some iced tea and West Indian ingenuity made a couple of cups for them from an empty plastic water bottle. Cut it in half and the bottom is one cup with the cap on the top a second.
We then pulled anchor and moved on to a different part of the preserve, a rather special area that’s sandy bottom was covered with sea grass that’s the favorite food for sea turtles. That was it, being the kind of clever fellow I am, I had brought along my old 1998 underwater camera as well. A Bonica 35 mm film job with a motor drive to advance the film. But being film I will have no idea if it worked at all, let alone that any of the photos would come out well enough. So I must go back with the digital unit for doubly damn sure!
Not only were the turtles amazing but so was the Flying Guido(???), a fish a bit over a foot in length with bat wings that was hanging out at the bottom of one of the moorings that the yachts used. This area of the preserve was also protected with a floating rope to keep the boats from entering and anchoring too close to the shore and in the middle of the turtles’ dining room.
After we all had gathered back on the boat for a bit of refreshment, Andy or Dane pointed out a ray that was passing us; a Spotted Ray they said because it was moving as fast as it was. That was too much for Molly and grabbing her mask and fins dove in and was on the chase.
Well now, a Spotted Ray, that was it for me too… I grabbed my fins and mask and followed after them. I have to admit some surprise that I was actually able to catch up and swim along with Molly and the ray as we watched it swim back and forth on the bottom feeding as its looooong tail drifted behind.
Soon the ray had enough spectators and moved off away from us, and since we were a bit away from the boat we headed back. The following morning as I awoke I was reminded how out of shape I am., my calfs were making themselves known. Swim fins work wonders in the water and you can go quite fast, but they rely on your calfs… my will need some more training and – sad to say – more snorkeling! ;o)
We headed away from the turtle sanctuary toward Myreau and pasued along the way for another brief snorkel stop. A deeper area with some current so it was kind of a drift dive/snorkel. And while I am glad to say my wind is getting better and I am able to get down to maybe 15-20 foot I do yearn for that first breath of air as I surface.
On to Mayruea where we got on shore almost without getting our feet wet, thanks the Andy and Dane, two of the best water men I have met. They backed Mostly Harmless up to the shore, raided the engines and out we hopped. I’ll have some surface photos to go along with this episode soon. So you can see that even in the deep Caribbean, on a tiny island’s remote beach you can find a tee- shirt shop and bar.
After this it was time to head back, and with a brief pause at Union Island, just north of Carriacou, for a peek at Happy Island just off shore from Union; and island that is just barely big enough for a bar…. that’s all it is a bar that you can only reach by boat, that many seem to have found.
Once back at Bayaluea Point Cottages, we disembarked and had a brief chat with Dave and arranged for another trip Sunday after next. That was then I ooked back up with Popo and we went off to The Valley Bar, where Mafi & her husband Adrian have set up a bar in front of their home for the local neighborhood. And being Friday, it was barbeque night, so dinner and another visit with Popo topped off the day….
…or almost. In order to catch a bus to where I was staying, now up on top of the island at Belaire we had to leave a bit before 7pm. Since the bus had no other passengers for Belaire I could have rode it into town and hoped for another bus, but decided a walk in the cool evening would be good, even though it was all uphill.
Just a ways up the hill I began to question my sanity – I was tired! So, when a passing car slowed to check me out I asked if the driver could drop me at the top of Belaire. With a bit of shuffling guitars to the back seat I was on my way home thanks to the wonderful folks that live on Carriacou.
