Going to The Dogs
Stream
Darrell Jackson and Sarah Barnes
Sun 9 Feb 2014 13:20
We set sail north along Sir Francis Drake Channel heading for Virgin Gorda Sound. On the way we decided to stop for a lunchtime snorkel at The Dogs. These are a group of small uninhabited islands in the Channel. They were named by the Spanish, when they were exploring this area, because as they sailed by they thought they heard dogs barking. On further investigation the barking was found to be seals, which the explorers then ate. The three Dog islands are: Great Dog, George Dog and West Dog. There are also three Seal Dog Islands near by: East, West and North, and amongst the dogs is Cockroach Island but can't think why it has that name.
The Dogs are known for their great snorkelling and diving and I have to say they surpassed our expectations. We stopped at George Dog, as the mooring buoys were full we anchored a little further out in sandy ground.
The swimming was great. The coral here is well formed with large architectural pieces. Being sunny the colours were vivid and the variety stunning. It was like floating above a coral garden. There were many different types, one looked like bubble wrap, with red and black blotches, others like fans and tubes. Swimming around the coral was a range of fish of all sizes and colours. There were large shoals of blue tang and angel fish. The squirrel and parrot fish were abundant. There were cow fish and pipe fish. The sergeant major fish were patrolling their eggs and chasing the other fish away. Definitely, a place to return to.
After lunch we continued sailing north, with full sail we made good speed. Virgin Gorda Sound or North Sound depending on the chart has three narrow entrances between coral reefs. We took the one that is well marked following the buoyed channel, past Mosquito Island, which is being developed as an Eco tourist resort by its new owner Richard Branson.
In days gone by, the Sound was where privateers like Drake and Hawkins, would wait out storms and hurricanes when they passed through the area. It is a large bay protected all around by islands and reefs. We sailed to the south of the bay into Leverick Bay and picked up a buoy with practiced ease. We found a restaurant for an evening meal, with a West Country, judging by the accent, singer playing the hits from the fifties, sixties and seventies, before Sarah's time, but good for a round of 'I'll name that tune'.