St. Croix's Cane Bay

Squid

Have you ever noticed that some places close to home have an uncanny ability to drag you back time after time? For over 30 wonderful years i have been swimming regularly at Cane Bay. To say i'm devoted or i'm grateful is not the sentiment i wish to convey. What i really want is for everyone i know to experience its magic.

Green turtle and Squid on the right

Just this morning a group of us swimmers exploded into the water in a frenzy to warm up as quickly as possible. You should actually be laughing at this last sentence because the water temperature here is 80 degrees...we think its freezing when compared with a month ago when it was 84 degrees. Yes you can laugh again.

For some reason we haven't been able to figure out why the water is colder close to shore.  Three times a week we groan, we moan, we throw our arms out and shrug our shoulders, we slowly inch in while we luxuriate in the warmth of our upper bodies trying to put off the moment when we expose it to the staggering cold. Laugh now.

Sand Eels

Its definitely eye-opening, but the minute we swim out over the reef this surge of warmth envelopes us and we are home. i think we all search for that warming moment to finally feel one with the ocean. Some days the water quality is jaw-dropping, a crystal clear stunning beauty luring us forward with all her charms and other days we can hardly see the bottom.

Cane Bay is a unique spot because it is semi-protected from the north east swell. The ocean can look horrible, white caps, wind blown, nasty on the north shore and just around the corner Cane Bay is calm and swimmable. There are really very few days during the year when we can't swim.

Clada and Green turtle

This morning it was breathtaking. Cane Bay was so clear you could see all her secrets from the surface. There was no need to be down on the bottom because she couldn't cover up. i don't know if it is just me but on days like this the fish seem to be confessing all their behind the scenes actions. It is as if they tell you to watch them, follow them, enjoy them and experience how they can blend in. It's like they are talking to you, letting you in on their hidden charms.

Foureye Butterfly Fish

Some days i think the fish know us. They will turn sideways and flash in a provocative manner, or kind of nod their bodies and change to tantalizing colors. The fish are so thrilling and hypnotic as they glide around the coral and sponges it makes it tough to break away and get back to the business of exercise.

The turtles are just as bad. Some days they don't want you near them and other days they can't get enough of you. This morning they were shameless, showing off and provoking us to follow them. Five different green turtles egged us on, all of them seemed to crave our attention and we obliged.

You know i never get tired of swimming out there. Lots of people think we are crazy but how can you stop going when its never the same. There is always something mind-blowing that you never saw before. Some new jellyfish, a new creature that appears out of nowhere,  some glop of goop that turns out to be coral sperm, or a dolphin, a whale, an octopus, or squid that change colors. You never know what the next time you go swimming will offer up.

Cane Bay is one of those places that never loses its appeal and the best thing about it is its free. All you have to do is get to St. Croix, drive to Cane Bay and jump in. Nobody is going to charge you to experience this treasure...and i do mean spectacular treasure.

All the pictures were taken this morning...different turtles and different squid.

See ya next week.