Kudos to Barbados

Brrr!   The 2013-14 winter months are long and we are experiencing unusually bitter cold temperatures.  We need a break from winter.  So, we book ourselves on an 11-day Southern Caribbean Cruise. 

Day 6:  The ship docks in Bridgetown, Barbados.  Today, we are participating in the “Barbados Turtle Encounter”. 

Our tour is operated by Ocean Adventures.  We board the Silver Moon II with Captain Tony and his crew.  After we cruise across the bay, we arrive near Payne's Beach where we anxiously anticipate snorkeling and swimming with the sea turtles.  We are here for 1.5 hours and no sea turtles are seen.  Just before Captain Tony calls us back onboard, we see one sea turtle.  Usually there are 20+ sea turtles (they were here this morning).  The lack of turtles is a rare experience and we have the unlucky timing of being here at the wrong time.   We climb onboard the boat and Captain Tony moves us closer to shore.

  

Sea Turtle Encounter

At Payne’s Beach, we climb down the boat’s ladder and swim a short distance to shore.  From here, we “slip” onto the banana boat for an “appealing” ride and then we climb aboard an inflatable over-sized lounge chair (up to four people) for another thrilling water ride.  The motor boat speeds across the water and our ride bounces across the wake of the speed boat.  This is a fun thing to do but beware that it is not suitable for anyone with neck or back problems.

  

Banana Boat Ride

We return to the Silver Moon II and sail back across the bay to return to the ship.  We wave good-bye to Barbados as the ship sets sail for St. Lucia.