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In March 2004, Tori and Dennis's parents split duty living at our house for a week to play with Alec & Holly while we escaped to the island of Tobago to do some diving. Tobago is a beautiful island off the northeast coast of Venezuela and is covered with mountains and rain forest. Along with it's sister island, Trinidad, Tobago was formed when it split from the mountains of South America long ago and is therefore unlike most of the volcanic, desert islands in the Caribbean. Similar to the ABC islands, you will find constant, strong trade winds blowing here all the time.

We stayed at the Blue Waters Inn, a resort located in the village of Speyside that caters to divers and bird watchers. The BWI is located at the northeast end of the island about 75 minutes drive from the airport. This drive makes Hawaii's road to Hana look like a Kansas highway! Excellent food though!

Typical days consisted of a lazy breakfast before getting on the dive boat for a 10am drift dive. Back in time for lunch, the boat would go out for another dive around 1pm. Diving gave access to very lush reefs featuring all manor of soft and waving things and large, colorful brain corals - as long as you could stomach the strong surge and currents that are ever present. These currents have had a unique affect on the numerous large barrel sponges on the reefs in particular!

A trip across the island to visit the town of Charlotteville gave us the opportunity to snorkel beautiful Pirate's Bay and to watch the boats come in with their catch - part of a big fishing tournament that was going on. (Click on the buttons below to see the photos.)