Our expedition continued to be filled with excitement and activities as we traveled to St. Vincent and the Isle of Bequia. The morning began with Aaron Raymond’s talk about expedition photography. He demonstrated various functions and camera settings and shared technical information and methods with guests to help them enhance photographic images when capturing memories of their voyage. Following Aaron’s presentation, the captain gave a tour that focused on the restoration efforts that keep historical Sea Cloud functioning and in pristine condition. After lunch, we disembarked on the Isle of Bequia in Saint Vincent where our guests had the opportunity to visit the model boat museum and workshop. This workshop is important in creating replicas of the historic sail ships owned by celebrities and the Royal family of England. The museum provided a background on the whaling activities that once provided a source of income for the local community. In the late afternoon, guests had a chance to swim on the beach and enjoy some drinks while watching the beautiful sunset. We ended the day on the ship with our local guide and a musical group that delighted guests with local interpretations of American songs.
2/22/2024
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Sea Cloud
St. Lucia
We dropped anchor in Soufriere Bay beneath the majestic Pitons. Both Pitons (“Gros” – 2600’ & “Petit” 2500’) are designated world heritage sites and are sentinels guarding the entrance to Soufriere Bay. Our excursion began inside the caldera where the hot sulfuric gasses and molten waters and rock are still quite active. St. Lucia is 238 square miles with a population of 180 thousand and is the birthplace of two Nobel Laureates. The official language is English, but everyone speaks the vernacular Creole French. Our next stop was the Diamond Botanical Gardens. Plants of every sort abound in profusion. The bamboo, the national plant of St. Lucia, can grow 8 inches a day and reach 30 feet. Our next stop was Hummingbird Beach. The snorkeling was good and is set against the sheer rock cliffs which contains the famous bat cave. We also enjoyed the hospitality and refreshing cold drinks at the Hummingbird Beach Club. Today’s lunch was a delight: pasta swirled inside a 100-kilo wheel of reggiano parmigiano cheese until fully coated. At night, our captain gave us a wonderful farewell toast to send us off safely to our homes. We boarded Sea Cloud as strangers and left as mates.