Barbuda (again!)

I've got one more Barbuda post here if you can bear it. While we really love the beaches and crystal clear blue waters around Barbuda (I guess you know that by now), we'd been keen to go back to the frigate bird sanctuary. We'd been there once before, but only after the fuzzy chicks had hatched and we wanted to see it during the mating season when the males are in full display.

 Silhouette of frigate bird in flight

Before sailing back though, we rounded Antigua, making stops in Green Island, Falmouth, Jolly Harbor and Jumby Bay, where we caught up with our friends Bennett and Susan on Pratique; we headed north to Barbuda together. 

 

Around Antigua, from top L: Ackee fruit, classic schooner, helicopter wrapped up on deck, baby goats grazing

Bulldozer dwarfed by the big cliff coming out of Falmouth Harbor

The forecast was for high winds for the days we'd be in Barbuda and when we arrived there was also a swell running that made Coco Point untenable so we headed for Gravenor Bay on the south side. 

Pratique anchored in Gravenor Bay

We'd made arrangements to see the frigate bird sanctuary one day with Barbudan guide George Jeffrey, but had a day before that to walk the trails and the windward beaches. We marveled once again at the power of the surf crashing over the reefs there. Loads of junk washes up along this shoreline.... most of it plastic.

Skip and Bennett on the windward beach

From top L: donkeys, landscape of rock and scrub, Bennett and Skip, close up of rock surface

Bits and pieces mixed in with the seaweed

Not that we ever need a reason to make another trip to Barbuda, but making a special trip to the see the frigate birds during the mating season was well worth it. I have far too many photos from the trip, but here are a few of my favorites.