Soufriere Snorkel Tour, 10.4.21.
The Soufriere Snorkel tour on the 10th of April was not your usual tour. In fact, we actually wondered if our clients would even show up when we went to collect them.
You see, the La Soufriere volcano in St. Vincent had erupted only two days earlier, on the Thursday. By Friday afternoon the ash started to arrive in St. Lucia and by Saturday morning, tour day, it was in full swing!
Not only was there a lot of ash in the air, but it was overcast and rainy as well. However, our clients were not your average couple. They had both spent time in the US Air Force, and this was their last day here.
We arrived at the pick up location at 10am as scheduled, and sure enough they showed up. A little confused by the sudden change in the weather, but ready to go none the less. In their words, “The show must go on!”
After the formalities, and a quick explanation of the weather situation, we headed down the coast. At times the view looked like a scene from a Jurassic Park movie, but our guests were happy to be out of the villa and seeing St. Lucia.
By the time we got to Soufriere, the rain had stopped. We jumped into the water at the base of Petit Piton and started snorkeling. As you may already know, the number of fish at this site is always amazing to visitors. However, the size of the Queen Parrot fish that showed up that day blew us away! She paraded around us showing off her Turquoise and Pink colors, worthy of the title of Queen.
Just as we were finishing off our snorkel experience, a few small jelly fish arrived, as if they were crashing the party. Their slight stings were more of a talking point than a deterrent, but the couple was beginning to feel chilly, so we returned to Remedy for refreshments.
After drying off and warming up a bit, it was time for a beverage. A glass of rum punch for the lady and a cold beer for the gentleman, then we headed up the coast. A short stop at Anse Cochon gave our guests a chance to purchase some souvenirs from Sunshine, one of the vendors there. That in itself was an experience, as you don’t often have a souvenir store pull up alongside your vessel, on a kayak.
Next we turned into Marigot Bay for some photos and a short history lesson. The couple was genuinely intrigued by the history and beauty of this wonderful place. I think it was at that point the decision to return to St. Lucia was confirmed.
We slowly cruised back out onto the coast and continued north, engaged in conversation about the island. We arrived at the drop off point almost too soon, as our new friends looked like they could have spent more time, out on the sea with us.
Ultimately, it turned out to be a wonderful day for all and we really look forward to entertaining this amazing couple again.
