Second EcoTours Trip

My second trip out with VI Ecotours went well. There were 4 tourists, 1 guide, Isaac (who is in the same position as me, just checking it out), and me. The tour started at 9am this morning, and we kayaked about 1 mile to a coral rubble beach on a lagoon, near the ocean, where we then snorkeled for about 45min-1hr. (The VI PD firing range is near the snorkeling area… was a bit odd to be snorkeling a nice tranquil mangrove lagoon, and having sporadic gunfire go off. We then kayaked back to the docks. When we got back, and the tourists had left, Isaac and I helped put up the kayaks.

Both of us are scheduled for our first training tour, Monday morning next week. We don’t get paid the first trip, but we get a VI Ecotours hat and shirt (yippee!). After that, we get paid a little while we train, then we get upgraded to assistant guide, making a bit more, then eventually we are lead guides, and we get full pay.

Anyhow, it should be interesting. Most guides do 2 tours a day, starting 8:30-9:30 for the first, and then 12:30-1:30 for the second. Should keep me busy… I am looking forward to seeing and learning about all the lagoon/reef organisms… today I saw my first barracuda. It was about 2.5-3 ft long. There is a resident adult barracuda, named Barry, who is ~5ft long. Apparently he can get a bit territorial, and has even chased snorkel groups out of the water. Also, the guide said that when large groups go out, somebody almost always kicks up a mangrove jelly fish and gets stung. Good fun. :-)