Pete did a heroic job cleaning the hull yesterday, using all three air cylinders and only getting a small amount of help from Avril, who found other boat jobs to occupy her.

As the acres of weed and growth were scraped from the hull, the resident population of shrimp, in their thousands, found themselves homeless. Eager to find some other nook or cranny to inhabit, many hundred chose Pete’s dive gear, or any other part of Pete they could get access to. In they crawled, filling every pocket, seam and crease until Pete resembled a walking aquarium. Despite our best efforts, the aroma of fish still lingers....

 

 

Clouds gather..                                                                                    but sunshine prevails

 

Today we picked our way between the rocks and coral reefs to Jumby Bay on Long Island, to the north east of Antigua. The island is home to a holiday resort set in a fabulous location. The sea was so intense in colour that a white sea bird flying over appeared turquoise as the water reflected off it’s wings.

 

  

Humpbacked whales playing

 

The highlight of the day was, however, the close up sighting of a couple of humpbacked whales rolling around and slapping the water with their fins. This was the closest we have yet been to whales. They seemed to ignore us totally as we passed by, giving us some great views.