Day 37 - 12/26 - Barbados

After two snorkel / catamaran trips that were a bust for the snorkeling, would our snorkeling trip in Barbados break the streak? I was having my doubts given the wind that we woke up to.

We arrived at the port on time and the Scientology ship Freewinds was still tied up plus there was a TUI ship, the. Marella Exploration which is the former Noordam. Later the Caribbean Princess would tie up behind us. We were located in the same berth as a couple weeks ago.

Our group formed up outside next to the large port terminal that is filled with lots of vendors. We were bused over to another side the port and signed our waivers and boarded the Tiami Catamaran Cruises catamaran. It was skippered by Lisa and there were 3 men assisting her. We motored out of the harbor and past the cruise ships to a location where there were two wrecks. The first was a former tourist boat and the second was a craft confiscated in a cocaine bust some 20 years ago.  

From the moment we entered the water, we knew it was going to be different. There were literally hundreds of fish and we saw more finish in the first few minutes than during the sum of the two previous days. Plus we had the bonus of snorkeling over a coral encrusted hulk. Fish were literally everywhere and of many varieties. After an hour or so of viewing these two hulks, we reboarded the catamaran and motored to another location not far away.  

From the catamaran, we saw our first turtle. After entering the water, a large sting ray was my first sighting. Then the turtles showed up. They were big and small and in between. They gracefully swam among us. Our guide would chum them with some fish and they would grab it. What they didn't grab, the fish would attack and bite off chunks. The water was clear and we got lots of good pictures and video. The wait had been worth it.  

We then reboarded and Captain Lisa set the foresail and we sailed back past the parked cruise ships to a beach area where we had the opportunity to swim. I did my first cannonball in years off the boat to the delight of those in the water. After a brief swim were treated to a rice, Mac & cheese, fish and chicken, and salad lunch on a real plate with real silverware. This is the life! Afterwards we sailed back to the dock, disembarked, and were taken back to the cruise terminal. We only had an hour before the onboard time, so we didn't attempt to walk to the city of Bridgetown, but reboarded the ship after a little shopping.  

Showers, sunset pictures, and dinner were the order of the day. This was followed by the World Stage performance by Naki Ataman, a pianist we've seen before. He playing a round the world theme for 45 straight minutes and it was very good. We then watched the daily movie, Blinded by The Light, about a young Pakistani Boy in England who finds meaning in Bruce Spriningsteen's music.  

And so ended a terrific return visit to Bridgetown, Barbados. More snorkeling is planned for tomorrow in Tobago. Stay tuned.

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