The day starts in a bit of a fog—not the kind of fog when the dew point and temperature reach equilibrium, but the fog that results from a long night celebrating the voyage with many rounds of Sea Shanties led by the crew of the Sea Cloud. Luckily, the seas have calmed to a gentle roll and early risers are greeted with dolphin escorts for about 40 minutes. We are heading toward the Tobago Cays, a group of five uninhabited islands that are part of the Grenadines. As we motor southwesterly past Canouan toward the cluster of islands surrounding Tobago Cays (Mayreau, Union, Palm and Frigate) the sun rises, and in the far distance towering cumulonimbus clouds and the dark grey bands of rain they produce obscure the distance islands.
After breakfast, at 9:30a.m., Kenny Broad gives a talk about climate change and the cognitive biases—from a psychological and sociopolitical perspective—we have in dealing with longer timescale environmental challenges. Lively discussion ensues and spills over into the lunchtime hour.
After lunch the group split, with the first group, and the bulk of passengers, loading onto Zodiacs for a shuttle to a catamaran from Union Island for a snorkeling trip. The other group head off for a secluded beach excursion. The snorkeling group head to a nearby cove where green turtles feed on the sea grass. We are treated to many sightings of these creatures both on the surface as they come up for air, but much more extensively as they are feeding on the grasses underwater, undisturbed by the snorkelers. In addition to the turtles, we see stingrays, boxfish, blue runners, and a host of smaller tropical and juvenile reef fish.
After about an hour in the water we head back to our chartered catamaran and weigh anchor for our next spot—a leeward anchorage about 20 minutes away. We again snorkel over small patch reefs in about eight feet of water. Snappers, boxfish, tang, blennies, various corals, conch, spadefish, triggerfish, and an octopus congregate on the rock structures. Begrudgingly, we get out of the water to head back to the Sea Cloud at 5p.m. On our trip back, we are treated to (overproof) rum punch, the dramatic grey vista of distant thunderstorms, and the water spouts spawning off of them, and a few scenic loops around our ship as she is gently lit by the dropping sun. We head back home in our Zodiacs and get ready to face another scrumptious dinner event—a maritime farewell celebratory feast.
