Sadly Jon, Mel, Maddy and Archie flew home yesterday.  However, just as we were saying goodbye to them we had a call on the VHF from some old friends - Wild Alliance and Tamarisk were about to arrive in the BVIs. 

 

We met up with them in Gorda Sound, and also here were Regina, Kosh Long and Coconut.  At the entrance to the Sound there was some gentle banter between Keoma and Wild Alliance, on the subject of football.  By this stage Keoma also had Anna from Tamarisk on board, who was vociferous.  Jon from Wild Alliance responded (over the VHF) with the chant "You're all a bunch of farmers!"

 

 

It was decided that a mass snorkelling trip was in order and we took our dinghies out to the reef to the north of Gorda Sound.  Initially it was chaos with flippers flying everywhere.  As usual, Pip and Juliet shorkelled along hand in hand, at the back of the pack.   We saw a cannon half submerged in the coral.  Suddenly there was a shout from Leon: "Ray, Ray!"  He pointed to the water beside us!  We swam as quickly as we could (still holding hands) towards where he had pointed and there is was, directly in front of us and about two metres away.  Gracefully swimming through the water was a grey ray, around a metre wide.  Its eyes were in triangles on top of its body and we somehow felt it was looking at us, although it carried on moving ahead.  We followed it for around 20 metres.

 

That evening it was suggested that we should take a photo of everyone, in their dinghies.  We assembled in the water next to Kosh Long:

 

 

Here is Juliet, taking the photo.  Photo below by Tim from Tamarisk.