Barbuda - Low Bay, Codrington & Frigate Bird Colony
SV Meshugga
Nicholas & Deidre Mace
Sun 3 Mar 2019 16:39
We sailed north from Coco Point across the bay to the fabled Pink Sand Beaches..... It was pretty with light pink hues on the wet sand from tiny bits of coral.
This tall ship cruise liner anchored in a choppy windy anchorage at the pink sand beaches. Using their life rafts to transport passengers to the Barbuda Boat Dock/Ferry Dock for passengers to get ashore.
We sailed further north to Low Bay and anchored just north of the cutting made by Hurricane Irma into Codrington Lagoon.
We dinghied through the cutting across the Lagoon 1.5 miles to the only settlement on the island called Codrington.
The village is named after the family who leased the island from England since 1685 - for one fat sheep.The Codringtons used the island to grow root crops and livestock. Their imported slaves, on emancipation became the owners of Barbuda, and all land is communal.
Hurricane Irma (September 2017) passed directly over Barbuda and all 1800 residents were evacuated to Antigua, and the village was all but decimated. About half the population have returned and renovations have started.
The school has been rebuilt, some brick and some temporary wooden classrooms.
This is one of the few Restaurants in the village, fully renovated, but closed...
The communication/radio/cell phone tower us up again, but you can see the devastated houses in the foreground.
This beautiful poor house is totally gutted, but bricks and mortar withstood the winds. Most of the roof and all windows are gone. No attempt at renovations have started.
Iconic Byrons Cafe, renovated but not open for business.
Sad donkey standing guard over her dead calf. Life is harsh.
Lots of Aid in the village.
Food programs,
WFP
New town official buildings, jetty and crane for fishing boats
We did not see much activity or work being done anywhere, apart from tourism and fishing. They apparently export sand.....
Returning to Meshugga, on the seaward side of the Lagoon, The Lighthouse Hotel on the spit of land separating the sea from the Lagoon, lost its battle and is totally devastated by Hurricane Irma.
Meshugga at anchor with Wind Voyager Charter Yacht, SV Cartouche, which does Kite Board cruisers at $60 000 per week for 8 guests.
A couple of days later we did a tour of the Codrington Lagoon through the Channel to the north side Barbuda. The channel is wide and 1.5m deep.
This fisherman was on his way back to the channel
Barbuda Belle Luxury Hotel on the north coast of Barbuda.
Has a small Restuarant which is open to Yachties - with a 48 hour reservation.
Barbuda Belle dock
We continued with the inlet on which the Barbuda Belle dock is situated which leads into the Bird Sanctuary - which is an area of Mangrove channels in the NorthWest of Barbuda.
A colony of Caribbean Frigate birds breed here, and is reportedly the largest rookery in the Eastern Caribbean. They migrate to the Galápagos Islands.
Nests are built on outcrops of mangroves branches. Each couple lay only 1 egg.
Carrying small fishes to the nests
Cute young chick. Chicks are dependent on their mothers for food for almost a year
Male with Red Mating Gular inflated
Looking up was impressive
Older chicks
The birds were undisturbed by us, and we could get close to take photos. They just looked inquisitively at us.
Grateful thanks to the Barbudans for allowing this Colony to breed undisturbed.
It was then time to leave Barbuda, and we sailed back to Antigua to clear our of the country.
Take Care
Deidre Mace
SV Meshugga
E: Deidre {CHANGE TO AT} Mace {DOT} co {DOT} za
C: +1 754 213 7663
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