Norman Island is a place of legends. It served as a stakeout spot for pirates, a place to hide loot, perhaps, and was the influence for Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel Treasure Island. We just came here to swim. Of course, the day began with rainbows in White Bay, Peter Island where we slept in a swirling wind storm. Rainbows, rainbows rainbows. Ho hum, lovely, thank you.

The rainbows were followed by our first thing sail to Norman. The guests were glad for some time to rouse slowly and stretch.

First we swam out to Angelfish Reef, where we didn’t see a single angelfish, but lots of other little fishy friends, including juvenile yellowtail damsels, which are bright neon blue with iridescent blue polka dots in their youth.

From there it’s almost a mile to the famous caves of Norman Island, and when we got there, a big show was underway. A bait ball containing millions of silversides, shiny inch-long fish, was undulating in and around the caves. Dozens of large tarpon skulked beneath the ball, cutting through the schools like razors every now and then, filling their gaping maws with fish, while pelicans and boobies darted into the water from above, gullets expanding with the spoils. Horse eyed jacks, sergeant majors, bar jacks, and needlefish completed the scene. It was the kind of thing you’d see on a nature documentary, and we hung around for a long time, surrounded by the action.

Captain Jason donned his fins and spent a couple of hours at the bait ball. We really enjoy working with him, as he’s patient, easy going, safe, confident, and extremely kind to all creatures, including humans. Jason and his brother Jon have spent the past 25 years running Odyssey Expeditions. They bring kids aged 13-19 on boat-based trips to the British Virgin Islands and Grenada. They learn about the marine environment as well as scuba diving, free diving, and lots of other life skills. If you have a teenager, give this some serious thought. Heather worked for Odyssey their first year in business, which is how she came to know Jason, and how SwimVacation got so lucky to be able to work with him.

Photographing this natural phenomenon today was a complete thrill. These photos made with goPro Hero 8.

Cheeseburgers for lunch, with lots of sides. These days, many of our guests have special diets, sensitivities, and allergies, so we try to have as many options as possible. We have accommodated vegans ad vegetarians, gluten free diets, and red meat eaters. Miriam is wonderful at this, as are our other chefs Lisa (Mediterranean trips) and Clare and Dan (Hawaii).

After lunch, Heather took underwater portraits of each guest off the stern of Barlow, and peeking over her shoulder, it looks like they came out great.

A return trip to the Caves for the afternoon swim was a no-brainer, and the activity hadn’t dropped down a bit. Heather brought her big camera to try to do the scene justice.

These photos all made with Nikon D7000 in an aquatica housing, ambient light.

*Pelican’s filled their gullets with fish on every trope dive.*

A quick list of all the marine life we saw here today:

Spotted Eagle Ray
Southern Ray
Tarpon
Green Turtle
Octopus
Squid
Scrawled filefish
Pufferfish
Pelican
Yellow Footed Boobie
Yellow tailed damsels
Caribbean Lobster
Barracuda
Lots of other reef fish big and small

Cornish Game Hens marched in for dinner. Delicious, especially on a yacht.

We were all a little wrung out from the intensity of nature’s display at the caves today. And after the decline in fish life over the last several years of intense tourism, followed by the ravages of hurricane Irma two years ago, seeing this kind of wildlife swirling, pulsing and thriving in this way was completely thrilling and heartening. It’s been a decade since we’ve seen fish like this here, and it makes us so optimistic for the years to come.

The schooling melee today was without question a SwimVacation top ten experience. We feel so lucky to have been here. Thanks for the thrills today Norman Island! We just might stick around for more tomorrow!

Hopper

*Zack joined us for the afternoon fun at the caves, and swam off (to our yacht) into the sunset.*

Thrilling Thursday

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