By Max M.
It’s been a while since we left Tenerife, but one thought never left our minds from that day on—our planned holidays at the reef. Some of us have never seen a reef, others had a little knowledge about how it is going to look, but none of us has ever been to the Caribbean Reef which we would experience. This fact increased our excitement.
When we crossed the Atlantic Ocean, from time to time it seemed like we will have a delay which could affect our time at the reef. Many times, we talked about it and were even a little bit nervous that we could possibly miss it. All the better that we reached the new world on time, even with the ship in our young hands. After a few days full of Caribbean vibes in Palm Island and Union Island we took off to our next anchorage at the Tobago Cays. The Tobago Cays are a group of five small uninhabited islands with white, sandy beaches, turquoise water, cliffs and many coconut palms. Hard to imagine, but definitely prettier than you can picture it in your head. Since we arrived in the evening we couldn’t directly jump into the water, but we all know, the longer you have to wait, the better it would to be. As soon as the sun raised we cooled ourselves down in the water and started with our program.
Before lunch a group of about 20 advanced snorkelers had the chance to be the first ones at the reef. We prepared ourselves for the adventure, packed our snorkeling equipment and headed of with our two dinghies. On the way there, the enthusiasm was high as we could have a view at beautiful islands and especially at “Petit Tabac”. You probably don’t know what is special about it before you see it yourself and this will perhaps not happen soon so I will just tell you: A little scene of the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean” was filmed there. For us it was extra special as we watched the movie the night before and I can confirm it looks exactly the same. Finally, we arrived at the reef. I exactly remember the moment when I sat on the edge of our dinghy and knew that I will see what lives under water.
My first sense clearly told me, this is amazing. We could see a wide range of plants which had shapes and surfaces that we have never seen before. Different fishes were swimming around and from time to time a bigger one stopped by and looked at us. The water was pretty flat at the reef so we were pushed close to it with every wave, such a great feeling. On top of it the stream was strong and we had to be careful that we do not drift away too far. Sadly, the exciting experience was exhausting and therefore it ended quickly. In total, most of us expected it a bit more vivid and colorful, but it will anyway stay in our mind as a special moment. After that first and most exciting snorkeling place we went close to another island where we could see turtles. Sea turtles are very cute when they come up to take a breath and look around with their big eyes.
For the whole group it was fun to swim behind the turtles to see them for a longer while. Meanwhile the others enjoyed the beaches of “Petit Rameau” by relaxing in hammocks, eating coconuts and splashing about in water. We changed the groups in the afternoon and without any doubt both activities were extraordinary and full of true smiles. Hopefully you got a little glimpse into our stay at and around the reef.