Tropical storms and white whales
Oriole
Sat 6 Dec 2003 19:38
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I would not have dreamed of calling my sister a
white whale but that is how she described herself as she stepped baggageless
from the Twin Otter on which she had flown from Barbados. Her baggage
had got stuck there and was delivered next morning. Liz has been
broken in gently as for three days we have seen little sun as the first ever
December tropical storm has been traversing the Caribbean from south to
north. This has caused quite a stir and we have been listening carefully
to the weather gurus. Only a week ago they were congratulating themselves that
this year there had been no tropical storms in the Caribbean. Odette is just
about to drop twelve inches of rain on Haiti and the Dominican Republic and so
far we have escaped relatively unscathed although this storm has been likened to
Hurricane Lenny whose swells caused havoc along the west coasts if the island
chain in 1999. We think we are likely to escape those too, but Liz is now
having to protect herself from the ravages of the tropical sun which has
reappeared. The only fallout from Odette for us has been vicious wind/rain
squalls, heavy overcast and spectacular lightening displays. From Clifton, Union
Island where we met Liz we went to Petit St Vincent well known as an
exclusive (mainly for financial reasons) resort. Our wallets remained
firmly closed. We then returned to Chatham Bay where we had another of Shark
Attack's beach barbequed lobsters. In fact he delivered at least three and a
great feast was had and we were rather the worse for wear next
morning. The snorkling around the bay is excellent and under one rock
there is a lobster nursery with hoards of the spiny creatures waiting to mature
to an appropriate size for Shark Attack's barbeque.
Female Stoplight Parrotfish
We have also seen a scorpion fish, only
diagnosed retrospectively, and we would not have been so closely inquisitive had
we known its about its lethal sting. In spite of all these potential
dangers we think it likely that Granny will return next week to resume her
duties in Edinburgh which will no doubt be to the great relief
the Department of Neurology. Tonight's supper, a tuna, was
delivered freshly caught and gutted by request. We are sharing this with
the crew of Moon Song RCC who are anchored close
by.
Supper delivery
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