Wednesday = Jellyfish Soup & Painkillers
I am not a climate scientist. However, I have been traveling to the same sensitive environments for over 15 years, and I am a fairly observant person. I can say two things about the environment here in the British Virgin Islands: the ocean has been getting warmer, and many of the coral reefs have died. I’m not taking the water temperature every day, but my guests, my guides, and I have all felt this increase in temperature over the years. The coral reefs are just as obvious, and the changes can be seen in Heather’s photography from 2008 to present. Entire reefs that were once colorful and thriving are now heaps of gray rubble. We still see vibrant coral in deeper areas and where currents keep some areas from stagnating. This year we’ve seen some of the worst coral bleaching, where coral colonies expel the symbiotic algae that lives within their delicate polyps. The coral isn’t dead yet, but it’s a very bad sign. Scientists say that coral reefs are the canary in a coal mine.
Just a few of the all too plentiful examples of coral bleaching we are seeing here this trip. There’s a noticeable difference from last year, and it’s a completely situation than when we started here 15 years ago. - HP
Our other destinations have also been suffering from the effects of climate change. In just the past 5 years we’ve seen unprecedented weather in all of our locations: wildfires, flooding, and a hurricane in Greece, a hurricane that completely wiped away several islands in the Abacos, Bahamas, coral loss and sargassum weed problems in Grenada, wildfires in Hawaii, and a Category 5+ hurricane here in the British Virgin Islands in 2017 that they have yet to fully recover from.
I’ve never written about climate change on this blog before today, but I can’t ignore it any longer. As people who travel to the edges of the world, we are witness to some of the most stark signs of global warming. I must also admit that I am part of the problem, responsible for putting a lot of people on airplanes over the years. I urge you to observe your own environment, and make your own decisions about any actions you might take.
On a lighter note, we yanked the hook in Salt Bay and set sail for the Baths at Virgin Gorda. The swim we do here is really unique - we zig-zag among a maze of boulders in gin clear water filled with colorful fish. The turnaround point is a white sand beach that must be among the most beautiful in the world. Heather did a succinct version of this swim with Marianne, so Simon did some heavy photography duty, and knocked it out of the park. (Thanks for these great frames, Swiggy! - HP)
Marianne and I had a special rock swim for two. She has trouble seeing, so I guided her with my blue fins in the way our Hawaiian guide Kekau devised for one of our other guests. Marianne went further than she has yet on this trip, and swam through more rocks than she thought she could. - HP
Great job with these, Swigs! - HP
We sailed up to Mountain Point, Virgin Gorda, and enjoyed a nice Roti lunch served by chef LouLou. Think West Indian Burrito. A lot of our guests this week can handle the hot sauce.
Sometimes guides steal away for a water adventure with a crew member or two. Heather, Simon, and I took deckhand Danny to the Moon Pool, which can only be accessed by swimming though an underwater tunnel. Due to the swell, there is always a point where you are not making any progress through the tunnel, and in fact you sometimes get pushed backwards. At that moment , one must trust in the sea, and that it will do what it always does, eventually pushing you through the tunnel and into this special room that few have dared enter. Not easy on body or mind, but well worth the effort. Well Done, Danny!
As we swam back to Yacht Rhapsody, we noticed that the water was getting thick with little baby jellyfish and other flagellates, and we started feeling little stings. By the time we reached the yacht, it was like swimming in a jellyfish stew. We gathered the guests before our afternoon swim to explain the situation, and devised a plan to swim one lap around the yacht. At that point, if anyone was getting stung and wanted to climb back aboard, they could. At the end of our lap, only Yafa remained. She and I swam about a mile through the soup. We belong to a special group of people who are not affected by these little stings. They still sting, but we don’t get a reaction on our skin. Heather watched over us on the SUP.
Back on the yacht, Painkillers! It’s a punch that packs a punch, and a kissing cousin of the Pina Colada:
Painkiller
1.5 Rum (preferably from the Virgin Islands)
1.5 Pineapple Juice
.75 Creme de Coconut
.5 Orange Juice
Serve on the rocks with a rum floater, grate some fresh nutmeg on top, garnish with a pineapple slice if you wish.
Salmon with spinach pesto and baby potatoes filled our bellies. It was my turn to DJ, and I played a list of songs from the year 1979. You’d be surprised at the quality and variety of music from that year. I must have exhausted myself and everyone else with it, because we all went to sleep early. (He did! - HP)
Hopper
