Anegada - at its best!
28 April 2016 | Anegada Island
Ros Brice
The skipper and navigator checked the weather update and agreed that it would be safe for Trilogy to stay another 24 hours in the somewhat shallow and unprotected waters of the lagoon at Setting Point. We made arrangements for a morning taxi ride to Loblolly Bay on the northeast coast, with Michael who was such a lovely gentle soul. His taxi was a late model long wheel base ute, with cushioned seats and backs, running parallel along the sides of the tray. This gave good viewing of the scenery as we travelled the long flat concrete roads. Much of the island is taken up with mangrove fringed lagoons and Michael stopped the taxi on top of a small bridge that connects the brackish pond water with the open sea. He pointed out way in the distance a small flock of pink flamingos and provided binoculars for us to get a better glimpse. We told him that we had booked a sea trip with Alex in the afternoon, to get a much closer look at the flamingos on a coral outcrop. Loblolly Bay delighted us with the beauty of the sand, coral reef and aquamarine water. We placed orders with Monica at her beach cafe for lunch and headed off for a snorkel, swim and walk discovering in solitude the secrets of this pristine place on earth. Our couple of hours at Loblolly were simply bliss. On our return journey, Michael took us through the locals fishing village and to the nearby Anegada Iguana Headstart Facility. Sadly the British colonialists in the 1700s introduced cats to the island and the feral population have a decidedly gourmet preference for iguanas! The Anegada iguana is the most primitive rock iguana in the world. Not only is this iguana critically endangered but it is one of the most endangered lizards in the world. Today there are just 300-400 individuals in the wild. Each October, biologists collect the hatchlings from the nest and place them in the facility to be raised to about 400 gms weight and 20 cms long, which makes them a less vulnerable size to cats. We learnt that they eat a vegetarian diet, with a preference for red coloured vegetation. A red flowering cactus is a gourmet meal!
We met Alex at the jetty and once out of the mooring area, took off at high speed to Horse Shoe Reef, which we were told is the second largest reef in the world. En route, we slowed right down so as not to scare the promised flamingos from their coral perch. This experience was a memorable highlight! There is no known explanation why the large flock has settled on this pocket size coral outcrop in ankle deep water. Their pink plumage is spectacular, the pink colour due to the crustacean diet. We got close enough for excellent photography and then, with a flick of a command, they all took flight to another nearby coral outcrop. Once in flight, their black plumage under wing was revealed and the contrast of colour magnificent. We felt mesmerised as the flock swept past us in formation, off to seek the safety of distance.
Our next stop was a conch shell island! For hundreds of years the local conch shell fishermen have cleaned the fleshy animal of its exquisite shell casing at this location. Initially the pinks on the internal surfaces of the shell remain, but with time out of the water, this colour disappears and becomes grey. The island reefs have an abundant supply of conch shells and there is a viable an export industry of conch meat from Anegada. Alex demonstrated the way to tap a shell open so that the flesh releases easily. We all had a taste of the meat, which was a salty, light pleasant flavour with a firm texture. We have previously thought the meat was too chewy when cooked, but maybe it had not been prepared well.
Our third stop was for snorkelling. We'd been told it would be good, and it was! We were several miles off shore, snorkelling in a few metres of water, with varieties of coral, fish and shells much of which was different to what we'd previously seen. There was a sighting of a nurse shark sitting on the bottom and a dark grey stingray, which was minus a tail. Alex, who was born and bred on the island said that there has been no report of a shark attack in over one hundred years in island waters. Apparently there are very big sharks on the drop off of the outer reef, which is where the islanders fish for mahi mahi and wahoo.
On the way back we stopped for another look at the flamingos, who took to flight fairly quickly. At night they nest on the island, but early each morning they return to feed. We had a wonderful day and went back to Trilogy for showers and a quiet night. On first impressions, this island appeared to offer nothing to the visitor; certainly nothing for the eyes to feast on. Quickly we learnt that what was lost on visual appeal was gained by the creatures that have made the island home, the exquisite beauty of the unspoilt beaches and the marine life beyond. The people were so relaxed, so polite and so friendly, we came to realise that they had everything and needed nothing. There is no reliable internet connection and they didn't care!