Wednesday Number 5.

You can’t predict the size of a wave. And the only thing you can control is your response to it. This is true of the ocean. It’s also a good lesson in life.

Samantha told me she likes getting tossed around in the ocean. She says after that, when she faces something rough, she knows what she can survive. It choked me up a little when she said that, and I know it made an impact on Martina who first told me about this conversation she had with Sam. The topic came up when we were getting bounced around in the current and shallow water waves off of Union Island, where we stopped to enter St. Vincent and go for a swim.

The space inside the barrier reef of Union Island is part paradise, part graveyard. The water is clear and turquoise. The lagoon is punctuated by two island bars which appear to have been hopping less than a year ago. Since the storm, they are abandoned. One is called the Happy Island Bar, and Martina read an article that called it “the luckiest island on Earth”. 

The ruined bar is surrounded by a freshly bleached reef - it looks in decent enough shape that it’s possible it could come back. It went on for an acre or more. The ledges of concrete we swam over here are filled with peculiar looking porcupine fish, about two feet long each, teardrop shaped, with big puppy dog eyes. They are shy and hide from us even though they don’t have any natural predators to fear. Sometimes they peek out at us and appear to be smiling coyly. 

The rubbly bits of coral we skim over in just a few feet of water have countless tiny fish, crabs, shrimp and other small miracles hard at work, doing their business. The spanses of white sand deliver larger things like a young, curious spotted eagle ray, which to me feels like an otherworldly messenger here to tell me I’m home.

The swim was alternately eerie, chaotic, exciting, uplifting and utterly bonding. Today was the day this group really became a family.

Jason returned from his immigration experience on Union Island with reports of locals still living in tents, trying to make ends meet. As a result, we see young men in boats approaching us, even underweigh, with all manners of services on offer. You have trash to get rid of? You need ice? You want a lobster bake on the beach tonight? 

We pay to unload some trash and pick up some ice, but pass on an evening on the beach with sandflies and mosquitos.

Jason pilots us to his favorite place in the Caribbean - the Tobago Cays. When we pick up a mooring ball and have a look around, it’s easy to see why he loves it here. The water is blue slushy delicious. The islets, small, uninhabited, lush, with empty beaches of pristine white sand. After lunch, we jump in for funsies and to explore with his promises of sea turtles, spotted eagle rays and more. He’s not wrong.

I have my big camera housing I like to tow along with mask and fins in special places when the goal is discovery, play and beauty. Here, my camera and I find all three. Bliss.

A word or more about Marcus. On this exploration splash I am reminded that on his first trip with us, I nicknamed him “Marcus, Finder of Things”. That’s because he is always face down, looking for tiny things under rock ledges, in holes, crevices. He’s got an amazing eye for marine life, and today he found two octopi (I failed to get a successful photo of either), these small creepy looking crabs I can’t tell you the name of because they look too much like spiders for me to search the internet for them, many turtles, and a very showy flying gurnard (aka the Dragon Fish). Marcus is sensitive and sweet, and has a patient temperament that is conducive to identifying things many of us miss. Or maybe they are attracted to him and his nature. Either way, he’s a joy to be in the water with.

We came out to snacks from Maya that amounted to second lunch, which was appreciated as we committed to circumnavigating small Baradal Island for our afternoon swim. We made a choice to swim counter clockwise around, which proved a bit challenging with the wind and current. Each of our swimmers checked their inner responses to the chaos, and powered through. As we rounded the final corner, we were rewarded with three dancing Southern sting rays and yet another spotted eagle ray (we are 3 or 4 on the day). It was a spectacular swim, and there was much loitering in the water before anyone wanted to get out.

We finally did and enjoyed Zack’s cocktails which were to order and were enjoyed as the sun set and the world cooled. Venus rose just below a sliver of moon in a purple sky.

Everyone seems at ease here tonight, so far away from news and other concerns from civilization. There was laughter over dinner. Somehow Miriam came up with the kooky idea before she left home that she should bring with her some glow tape. Just past dark tonight, she began to stick it to herself, Myssie and Samantha. Without any context or warning, the three walked into where I was working, shut off the lights and began to dance to Mambo Number 5 with the glow taped limbs. I never saw it coming and I could not stop laughing. 

Hoping for more messengers and small miracles tomorrow. I’m open.

Love,

Heather