Day 457: Benson Point

Jul 3 - I go once again to traverse the lagoon in the north. Swim across the first channel to the ‘island’, cross that, and traverse another channel to the next set of sand banks. Explore all I can of this area and head back. Am visited by one small spotted eagle ray, which flits around me in the shallows. Sadly I don’t have my phone to take a video, as my pack and most of its contents are wrapped in a rain jacket on the north shore of the lagoon.

Boatman is ready at 10:00, but tides are getting really strong and right now, being low tide, means that the boat is high and dry in the lagoon. It takes a lot of time and pushing to get it into enough water to operate the engine.

Because the tide is rising, it is a good moment to try and see the manta rays, who ride the tide into the lagoon, at a spot in St. Stanislas Bay. We head there and motor around for about 20 minutes before spotting the dark shape of a manta.

We tried to get into the water after this video, but the manta took off and was no longer visible underwater. A few minutes later we crossed paths with another manta, and Odette and I were the first ones into the water. We are both able to swim along and watch it drift by.

From here we go close to Cook Island on the south side and snorkel the area just inside the surf zone. Spend a lot of time here, as rainstorms come and go. Sometimes the dense rain obscures the coast before moving on over the lagoon. See one ‘coral starter’, a rebar frame with bits of coral tied to it, in an effort to grow a new coral head.

Go across a shallow gravel bar into the mini-lagoon by Benson Point, and take a walk along the shore.

Take the boat back into the lagoon and snorkel another area with plenty of coral heads, giant clams, and fish.

Odette is too cold for more snorkeling, so she sits on the boat while we get as much as we can out of the site. It continues to rain. At about 15:00 we call it in and return to the resort.

A bit later the fishing haul comes in, which includes a few large tuna.