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Published: June 29th 2015
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Blue Pearl Bay 1
At low tide, snorkelers have to make their way across the coral before entering the very shallow water, and then swim way out to a comfortable depth. Although there is plenty to see at this inner reef site, the shallow water and silt make it less fabulous than our snorkels at the outer reef We had no scheduled activities for our last full day in the islands. The morning was much cloudier and still breezy making ocean activities less appealing. Sonia was up and out early to work on her photography while the kids slept in a bit. After another late breakfast we opted for a hike over the top and to the opposite side of the island to Blue Pearl Bay. We borrowed snorkeling gear to take with us, despite the warning that it was low tide and it would be difficult to get out of the shallows into the reef. The hike with snorkeling gear was some good exercise, first climbing to the lookout point that Sonia and John had visited previously and then descending through a number of switchbacks on the far side of the island, with lovely views of the turquoise waters. The sky remained mostly cloudy with brief periods of blue, and brief rain showers mixed in. One of the two beaches in Blue Pearl Bay can be reached only on foot (too shallow for boats to come in) and we had it entirely to ourselves when we arrived. We set down in the sand and then climbed over cobbles
Blue Pearl Bay 1
John considers his entry strategy to get to the water’s edge and assess the snorkeling opportunity. From the beach we could see something large occasionally splashing, not too far from shore, but were unable to figure out what it was. (Sonia and Andrew had seen two manta rays in the shallows of this cove from their helicopter two days before). Despite the challenges of shallow water and all the coral making beach entry difficult, John decided to give snorkeling a try, putting on his gear at the waters edge and waddling out in flippers until it was deep enough to float. The snorkeling on this inner reef site was not nearly as great as it had been at the outer reef, partly from the effect of the shallow waters and the silt on the visibility, but there were colorful corals and fish to see. He did spot one thing he hadn’t seen before but couldn’t quite identify (or photograph) it – likely some sort of shark, about 3 feet long. After a brief exploration he returned to shore and awaited Sonia’s delivery of a towel and his shoes to cross the rocky part of the beach. It soon became apparent that Sonia had neglected to
bring his shoes in from the water’s edge (and they were rock-brown in color) and the tide was coming in. Luckily the shoes were still on land and were quickly located – given the rocky nature of the hike back to the resort, this could have been a devastating oversight! The hike back was punctuated with many sightings of rock wallabies. We arrived back the resort in time for a late lunch as the skies started to look a bit more threatening. John was keen to have a more extensive swim in the saltwater pool despite the clouds and Andrew and Sonia agreed to join. Three of us swam the full circumference of the massive pool, with rain falling through most of our swim. We then relocated to the warmer freshwater pool. We had a lot of fun enjoying the tropical downpours from the safety of the pool as both guests and staff looked on with amusement. For our part, we enjoyed watching the dark storm clouds approach from over the water; the mountains across the bay would disappear and we could tell 10 minutes in advance that a serious deluge would be upon us. Warm showers and dry clothes
Coral
This is a very abundant type of coral and very pretty viewed up close. were very welcome and we enjoyed the peace and comfort of the hotel rooms until it was time for dinner. Due to a mix-up in our reservations, we ultimately ended up back at Bamboo (this time all four of us) and enjoyed many of the dishes we didn’t sample on the first evening. Back in the rooms, it was sadly time to pack up and get ready for our departure.
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