Unexpected Experiences

I had the opportunity to participate in a program where I was a member of a crew on a schooner for ten days. We sailed around the U.S. Virgin Islands. Among the waves and the sails, I started to change for the better, as unexpected experiences became the highlights of the trip.

The unexpected experience that forever changed me occurred when we sailed to Bulk Island, an island off of St. Croix. I still consider this one of the top four places I have traveled to. We trailed around the island with two tour guides and, on that day, I reached a new level of appreciation for nature. The entire island is comprised of poisonous plants growing out of the sand. Somehow, this was alluring because no one could tamper with the plants, making them truly natural. The ocean looked like glass merely tinted with blue. While walking up the beach, the tour guides were telling us about the turtle nests on the island, and how they look through the nests to check for stragglers, little turtles that may become stuck in the sand.

We stopped at a turtle nest. The tour guide gently dug through the nest, and pulled out four tiny turtles. They looked as though they were made of clay, their brown shells just slightly bigger than their flippers. The four turtles crawled over the ridges of our palms. After several moments, three of my classmates and I released them into the ocean, and watched them swim away until they disappeared into the vast ocean. Never before had I felt that deep indescribable connection with nature. Watching them swim away, I truly saw on Bulk Island nature at its finest, and at the peak of beauty. I felt a natural connection with the environment on Bulk Island, and on the trip, something that is beautifully indescribable in itself.

Watching the tiny flippers of the turtles swim away into the vast underworld of the ocean, was an emotion I only experienced once in my life. To have a similar experience, I would highly suggest finding a local tour guide. Bulk Island has travel guides specifically for the island, and, walking the island like this would enable an authentic experience. It is also important to keep in mind that you are a visitor, and being cognizant of the nature around you allows Bulk Island to remain safe for the plants and animals that call it home. Finding the turtle nests was unexpected, and that is what made this so memorable. Traveling here, who knows, perhaps you will have an unexpected experience as well.