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Day 3
We had a relaxing morning....my children have enjoyed playing with the extra large sized hermit crabs that love coffee grounds...every morning 50 of these pointy fellows come out to eat ....in the afternoon we decided to go to Caneel Bay Resort....the main beach is ok but I have heard from this board that the other 6 beaches are beautiful...so off we went in search of the best beach....we spoke with a employee of the restaurant who told us a little green bus drops you off at whatever beach you want to go to with in the resort...so we decided on Scott's Beach....this beach was very well kept...calm as could be waters....with only 6 people on the whole beach....we decided this was perfect for floating on rafts and soaking in the sun and breeze....I declared to Mr. Happy Man it was time Neurotic Mom took a break from worrying and asked him to take charge of the spirited children so I could relax my mind....I took a raft and my snorkel gear layer on my stomach on the raft and let the ocean take me wherever it wished....I had my snorkel gear on and hung my face in the water as I drifted....enjoying the peace and marine life passing by....aaahhhh....this is the life I was thinking....then I saw something in the distant waters coming towards me and was trying to figure out what is was...then it occurred to me what it was...oh no....it was a 4 ft nurse shark...moving its tail in a side to side motion....at first I was in disbelief...this was my big break to relax and have no worries....I began tell myself its ok....he will not bother you....then the nice fellow took a dive under my raft and disappeared....I decided I was more than done being in the ocean for the day....so much for no worries....lol...I joined Mr. Happy Man on the beach who just laughed and laughed when I told him about the shark....he then proceeded to tell the children about it and asked then if they wanted to find it with him! Thrill Boy could not get in the water fast enough and off they went....As I sat on the beach a man who worked at Caneel bay came up to me and told me no children where allowed on this part of Scott's beach...then he asked me if we where staying in the resort? I said no and he told me I was only allowed to be on the main beach if I was not staying there unless I got there by boat...I did not argue with him but I did truly wonder if this was true....so I gather the children and husband who did not get a chance to find the shark and we sadly left the beach....
Day 4
We decided to go to Trunks Bay today.....it cost $4 for each adult and children under 16 are free....we arrived at 9am and there was very few people there....we asked when the cruise ship people arrive and the from desk told me by 9:30am....so we all quickly got our gear on and where off we went before the crowds...the last time I snorkeled here I was disappointed....the reef had damage and was not thrilled with the fish...this time was different...I wonder if it was better because we where on of the first snorkelers out there.....right away we saw squid....a snake like eel....lots a very large colorful fish....it was great....the clarity of the water was great as well....the other thing we did different this time was to go almost all the way to the point of the rocks....not just on the triangle path....Neurotic Mom that I am felt very safe here with the life guard right out there on a surf board near the reef! If you are bringing young children however, I still would have then wear some kind of floatation device ...parts of the reef are in 20 feet of water and they could get tired....Thrill Boy at first was too cool to be seen with a life belt....we compromise and he did not have to buckle it but float on top of it....kind of like those noodles kids use.... Even Whiney River was not complaining at all an had allot of fun! Here in Trunks Bay it is one of the few beaches in St John that have food...bathroom....shower....this beach should not be missed....
Loved your report, especially about the nurse shark! Guess I am not alone then, so far as running into sharks! That is too darn bad that some jerk told ya to leave. We didn't try Caneel Bay Resort's beaches because we weren't sure where the entrance to the place was, and now I am glad we didn't try. I hope someone here on the board will fill us in about whether that was true or not.
Sharon
Hi Sharon
Yes it is true - Scott beach is an "adults" only beach for the Caneel property. I don't believe there is another one, so it was unfortunate that this was the beach they chose 🙁 but (on a personal note) I do think it is nice that Caneel has a beach option "for adults only" for the guests that stay there
.
Just because someone is doing his job, he's a jerk? No wonder some locals aren't all that friendly.
What's up with all the sharks??? Anyone have any idea? I had never seen one at STJ before (or anywhere else in USVI/BVI waters), never heard of anyone seeing one (first-hand, that is), and all of the sudden it seems there are sightings all over the place! Makes ya wonder...
BTW - Great report! I love feeding the hermit crabs too - my quest is to find the teeny-tiniest one; so cute (yeah, I know - totally weird).
buffyno1
Yes, Caneel does have several restricted beaches to insure the hotel residents get something unique for all that money.
One of our best experiences with the crabs happened while hiking from Caneel to Honeymoon. Apparently, the crabs were making their periodic trek to the water and while we had stopped to catch the view (and breath), we noticed the ground around us seemed to be moving. The entire area was covered with hermit crabs and they let nothing get in their way.
Slim: I think that the guy was a jerk because they should have a sign posted " Adults Only", and by the way she reacted it seemed he acted like a jerk. Of course, I have called numerous people a jerk, including myself (see my trip reports). No harm intended, just being my sympathetic self.
Sharon
We saw a nurse shark last year off of Gallows. Kinda freaked us out. The shark was just as scared. I couldn't react fast enough to get a photo of it. I was trying to figure out if I should take a photo or swim the other way as fast as I could.
Buffyno 1 love the reports. I was cracking up at the names you gave yourself and your family. Gives a great visual.
