On his second voyage to the New World, Columbus, with a flotilla of 17 ships chartered in Spain and 1200 men, animals and hunting dogs, hoped to make landfall at Hispaniola, where he had left numerous crew from his first voyage the previous year. At dawn on November 3rd he sighted land in the Lesser … Read more
Slow Life from Daniel Stoupin on Vimeo. One of the many fascinations of exploring tropical waters is to appreciate the beauty and diversity of life on and around the coral reefs. Multicolored corals of great size and shape along with hundreds of species of fish, sponges, invertebrates and anemones act as a backdrop for divers … Read more
The Invasive Indo-Pacific Lionfish – DO NOT TOUCH! Originally introduced to the Atlantic through aquarium releases in the 1980’s, this invasive species has been documented along the entire US East coast from Florida to New England, east to Bermuda and south throughout the Caribbean. They are voracious eaters and can strip a reef of juvenile … Read more
Sea turtles are one of the Earth’s most ancient creatures. The seven species found today have been around 110 million years, since the time of the dinosaurs. The sea turtle’s shell or “carapace” is streamlined for swimming through the water, but unlike other turtle’s, sea turtle’s cannot retract their legs and head into the shell. … Read more
Coral reefs are among the most biologically diverse ecosystems on earth. They are second only to tropical rain forests in the number of species they harbor and are sometimes referred to as “the rain forests of the sea”. Reefs support incredible marine biodiversity including a multitude of fish species, lobsters, sea turtles and a multitude … Read more
1. Unique Caribbean Attractions National Parks, Museums, Botanical Gardens, Full Moon Parties… Tortola alone has the Joseph Reynold O’Neal Botanic Gardens, a shell museum in Carrot Bay,Sage Mountain National Park, Mount Healthy, old rum distilleries. Once a month, Trellis Bay has a full-moon party for families (unlike Bomba’s) that includes a family-friendly beach party with a West Indian buffet, local music, Moko … Read more
10 Tips For Planning The Perfect First Time Sailing Adventure Planning the trip The crew – The good bad and the ugly Communications in the islands Currency & credit cards Navigation in the islands Provisioning What to bring Planning the itinerary Island etiquette Safety and security Planning the trip It has often been said … Read more
Long before the emancipation of 1834, the Virgin Islands emerged as one of the major boat building centers in the Caribbean. Africans, both free and enslaved, honed the skills of boat building, unique skills no doubt learned from the 18th century Navy and passed on, not through any formal process but by word of mouth. … Read more