On Monday we took a taxi over to the south side of St. John to a place called Salt Pond Bay. Liz thought this would be promising for Alex since it was known as a protected bay with minimal swell or waves.
While Liz got started on a painting, Alex and I explored some shallow rocks where we ran across an octopus:
It proved to be very shy and quickly bolted, freeswimming across the shallow reef. I got a few scrapes with long-spined urchins as I hurried to keep up with it. Cresting one rock outcropping, it came to rest near a barracuda:
After Liz wrapped up a small painting study, she swam and snorkeled with Alex while I freedived in deeper water in the middle of the bay. Even here, though, the maximum depth was on the order of 20 to 25 feet. I came across a Southern stingray:
followed by encounters with a pair of turtles:
At one point, contemplatively swimming alongside a turtle at a depth of 20 feet, I forgot about the urge to breathe and felt as though I could freedive indefinitely (were it only the case).
Also hanging out in the deeper part of the bay was a cushion sea star:
Back in the shallows, I rendezvous'd with Alex, who nearly stepped on one of numerous peacock flounders:
We also admired many outcroppings of Christmas tree worms:
while dodging a fair bit of fire coral here and there:
Finally, we also stumbled across what appeared to be a cleaning station in a patch of very shallow water, where one of the normally skittish barjacks was hovering docilely while a tiny French angelfish picked away at parasites on its skin:
Continue on to Virgin Islands Trip Report, Part 3
Return to Virgin Islands Trip Report, Part 1