Bountiful Beguiling Boobies in Bequia

We bypassed Bequia on the way south in front of the storm and now we had returned to investigate the island further. Our welcoming was from a Brown Booby hitchhiking on the bow for the last hour. He remained on the pelican striker even as we were rolling up the genoa. These guys are great flyers and will often follow us hoping we will put some flying fish in from of the bows which they can then catch for dinner. Finally, as we got closer to the harbour he departed but was replaced by a flock of eager laughing gulls.

Bequia is the second-largest island in the Grenadines, part of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, a Caribbean nation. It has a population of about 5,000 people and covers an area of 18 square kilometers and is small, cute, and friendly.

Port Elizabeth

Port Elizabeth is the capital and main town of Bequia, located on the leeward side of Admiralty Bay. It is a colourful and charming town that blends the old and the new, with traditional wooden houses, modern shops and restaurants, and a lively waterfront. The island is home to a traditional wooden boat building industry with several examples moored in the harbour.

There are shops for local crafts, souvenirs, clothing, and jewelry at the waterfront stalls and shops.

Port Elizabeth has a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, where locals greet visitors with a smile and a wave, and where you can enjoy the island’s laid-back lifestyle and culture. We could only spend a few days here and did not get past the town which was enchanting and the longer we stayed the more we enjoyed the ambiance of the island.

Restaurants

There are many restaurants and cafes that offer a variety of cuisines, from local Creole dishes to international fare. We managed to eat at Open Deck & Bar, Mac’s Pizza, Greenhouse Cafe, Sugar and Spice, and have a drink while watching live music at the Fig Tree.

Live Music

Since we were there for so short a time we did not make the Bequia Maritime Museum, which displays models of boats, fishing gear, whaling tools, and artifacts because it was closed. Nor did we get to visit the Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary, which rescues and rehabilitates hawksbill turtles before releasing them back into the wild. The area was very quiet but it was also the end of the season so many local people had taken a holiday.

Admiralty Bay – Mooring

Admiralty Bay is a natural harbour that is dotted with yachts, sailboats, and fishing vessels, and framed by green hills and palm trees. The Belmont Walkway is a scenic path that runs along the shore to Princess Margaret Beach.

The harbour has many boats in it and many moorings, though this was the low season. These moorings do not have a good reputation as some are legal and some not, and it is difficult to find out who owns which, and who is telling the truth.

The first night we selected one on the outer edge of the mooring field but in the morning a very large schooner was trying to lift the anchor and it was obviously tied around everything. We had decided to go diving so we thought we better anchor closer in, away from any chance of a collision.

We selected one and paid for one night then the next day a lady came up to us and told us it was hers and we were too big for it. We had dived on it and it seemed the best of the bunch. However, we now moved further out to a larger and deeper mooring.

Princess Margaret Walkway

After a lovely breakfast at the Greenhouse Cafe, Di and I decided to walk around the walkway to Princess Margaret Beach. The boys just decided to relax.

Diving

Pete, Hew, and I decided to go diving and Di went to have a spa which she said was great.

The dive master took us to the end of the harbour for a coral reef dive. Hew, I and Pete got into the water but one of the other divers had gear problems and we spent considerable time in the shallows waiting in rough conditions. Also, Pete’s BCD did not fit even though we had asked for an extra large, they had given us a large and we did not realize this until later. The result was Pete felt very uncomfortable and abandoned the first dive

The second dive was on an old tug called the Stratmann Wreck which sits just a few hundred meters off the shores of Admiralty Bay. It had sunk here in 2003 and today she sits upright in about 12 meters of water as an artificial reef. It was interesting to see the growth but too new and too shallow to be a really good dive.

Dive photos – When these are edited I will update the post.

The Moonhole – a private nature reserve

After three days we needed to leave to keep to schedule for Di and Pet’s departure from Grenada. On our departure, we sailed close to the Moonhole resort which was built in the 1960s but most now looks deserted. Tom and Gladdie Johnston started the Moonhole Company Limited and acquired the entire western tip of Bequia. They built their home under the enormous rock arch known as “Moonhole”. The Moonhole Company was dedicated to conserving the unique architecture, flora, fauna, and aquatic life on the western tip of Bequia. There are no roads here, only stone paths. They collect water from the clouds. The houses rely on the sun and the wind for power and on the trade winds for cooling. We did not get a chance to stop and visit but will stop next time as it looks fascinating. https://www.moonholecompany.com/

Leaving the Moonhole complex we passed the small islands on our port side and headed to Mustique.

Next Blog: Mustique