Antigua

We took a private "Eco Tour" in Antigua which was on a boat that took us all around the island and to nearby, smaller islands.  The water was a beautiful color around Antigua and we learned about the ecology of the island, as well as seeing some neat things.  The tour was good, but I thought it was overpriced and I probably wouldn't recommend it.

[caption id="attachment_1378" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Pretty, Blue Water"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1379" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Mangrove Trees - We saw a lot of big starfish under the water in this area"][/caption]

Our fist stop was at Bird Island.  This was a small, uninhabited island near Antigua.  A lot of birds head there at certain points during the year, but not in January.  We took a trail up to the top and had a 360 degree view of the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.  We were then given some time to swim at the beach and served lunch.

[caption id="attachment_1380" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Beginning of the Hike"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1381" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Caribbean Sea"][/caption]

Our second stop was at a rock formation/island called Hell's Gate.  We swam from the boat to the land and made the climb up to the top.  From a distance, it looks like walking across the narrow strip of land is the dangerous part but it wasn't.  That part was actually pretty wide and not scary once you got up there.  The dangerous part was climbing up the jagged rocks and through narrow spaces to get to the top.  Someone could easily fall down (28 feet) and hit their head on the rocks and crashing surf below.

[caption id="attachment_1382" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Hell's Gate"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1383" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Ready to Climb"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1384" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="The Climb"][/caption]

Our last stop was going to a reef for snorkeling.  I wouldn't say it was the best snorkeling of the trip, but it was definitely the most extensive reef I have ever seen.  I could have stayed out there for hours!

[caption id="attachment_1385" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Fish"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1386" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="More Fish"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1387" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="A Better Pic of Brain Coral"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1388" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Jeff's eyes match the color of the water!"][/caption]

On the way back to our ship (which was far away), our boat had both engines fail.  Lucky for us, they had a high speed, racing boat that was able to pick us up and get us back in no time at all.  For those of you who aren't familiar with cruising, you take a risk by booking independent excursions that aren't through the cruise line...if you get back to the boat late, they leave without you and you are responsible for your transportation to the next island!