Is it time to get ready to head back to School???

Snorkeling in the British Virgin Isles

Fish are fish and they don't really know much about National boundaries.  So almost all of the fish we saw were similar to the ones we see in the US Virgin Isles.

Except this guy... Never saw him in the American Isles...

Beautiful colors and a whispy tail and extra large feathery fins...

Hard to tell, but this lady is about a foot long...

But, glad to see my favorite fish makes occasional visits across the pond.  The bright clear weather helps really make the colors on the parrot fish pop...

So we'll just call this lady my favorite British fish!

The Bluest Fish you've ever seen

Barracuda infested waters

This is my favorite photo...

Didn't take long to get out of the water with this guy floating around...

About 5 feet long, 4 feet of which are teeth.

He's called a Parrot Fish... He's my favorite fish, a face only a mother could love

Snorkel Cruise

This is how we celebrated the 4th of July... A snorkel cruise to St John and Christmas Bay...

A great way for beginners to have the experience.

Saw some of the largest versions of fish we had never seen before...

And some beautiful corral fields...

A really fun day (and we got a 50% discount for being locals... always fun!)

OMG, I Spotted a Spotted Moray Eel

Gotta look close... He wanted to bite something

I took a new favorite Fish Foto

Sapphire Beach - Best Snorkeling day yet Part School is in Session

Sapphire Beach - Best Snorkeling day yet Part SQUID

Squids in Parade...

Places to go other squids to see

More Fish

I Guess we have a hobby...

Jackie and I swam through a wall of these little fish...must have been a thousand of em...

But there were more to see...

And wouldn't it have been great if this one was in focus... Best lousy picture I have ever taken...

Under the Sea - New Fish

Class was in Session, but it was getting a little rough... Here's an angle you don't see often.  Houses on our point, as seen from sea level about 200 yards from shore...

British Virgin Islands - Part 2 - The Caves of Norman Island

Still in England, God save the Queen...

Real pirate treasure was found in these caves, but being able to snorkel in about 100 feet was the attraction now.

There were plenty of fish...

BUT WHEN THE CRY OF ...

TURTLE TURTLE TURTLE

Went up, we all chased him down...

He swam faster.

British Virgin Islands - Part 1 - Indian Rocks of Norman Island

We rented a boat over the weekend and with everyone humming the tune to Gilligan's Island, we were off to the British Virgin Islands.  After a quick stop clearing customs (no arrest warrants between the lot of us), we were off.  We spent the morning snorkeling around Norman Island.  One of our stops was the Indian rocks.

British fish look surprisingly like American fish, we did see a very large Barracuda.

And (I assume), just in case the queen comes for a visit, they had lots more trumpet fish (long skinny ones, with their noses broadening out like a trumpet).

But the coral was the best we have seen since we arrived.

This Trumpet fish was among the longest I have ever seen.. at least 3 foot (probably 4 foot).

I could show these every day

Flowers

Creatures - This is an eel, on a very clear day when we were snorkeling.

Fish

Views - This is St John

And I still can not stop taking pictures of Iguanas. even though I see them every day.

The Beach at Secret Harbor

It's much less than a mile from our condo, but it was the first time we visited.

Full service beach, with a dive shop, restaurant and a couple of bars...

Also had a $5 charge for a beech chair, and an enforcer to make sure you didn't use chairs you were not entitled to.

So, we set up shop on a convenient rock, and headed out to see the fishies...

Snorkeling was... a little above average.  Plenty to see, but the extra effort to get there, and the extra effort to get back was not really worth it.  Glad we went, saw fun things, but there is no place like home... Actually, really.  Our little corner of the island (Cowpet Bay) has everything that Secret Harbor has (with no charges).

So, Jackie and I agreed to really enjoy the beech) meaning, we were not likely to return soon.

But we did see another one of these... A Reef Squid...

Ugliest things in the ocean... Tentacles for a nose, big bug eyes and they swim backwards...

And always a treat when we see a big Ray...



It was a great fun time... A little more effort than we wanted, and a bit of an overly aggressive money making machine...

But the fishies were nice!