With our issued permit, we headed out early to Buck Island and we could not help but wonder if it was named after the naked tourists or deer (surely there are no deer on this tiny uninhabited island).  It was less than an hour journey so we motored into the clearly marked channel and dropped anchor in 2 meters of water.  We arrived before the day charters invaded this peaceful place and it was beautiful.  Buck island is really small and designated as a National Historic Monument.  There is a walking trail and a snorkeling trail.  Slowly, the day charter boats started to arrive, so we decided it was time to swim ashore and begin our hiking adventure.  The hike starts at West Beach and takes you on a pristine trail through the canopy of trees to the observation point and then back down to Diedrichs point.

There were tons of birds, butterflies, and lizards to greet you along the way.  All in all the walk was pretty easy, clearly marked, and fun to do.  It probably took us about 1.5 hours there and back and that included a dip in the ocean to cool down.

We swam back to the boat for a snack and packed up Sweet N Low for our snorkel adventure.  There is only one spot we could anchor Sugar Shack which was off West Beach and the snorkel area is on the other side of the island.  Our boat was too big to take her directly to the snorkel spot, but Sweet N Low fit perfectly.  We arrived before everyone else and quickly jumped in.  Wayne went left and Matt and I went right (not sure why we didn’t stick together).  This was by far one of the prettiest reefs I’ve seen in a long time.  It was alive with coral, schools of all sorts of fish (purple tangs, blue tangs, etc…), home to some of the largest parrot fish we have ever seen, and only about 15-20’ deep..  About 5 minutes into our snorkel, I noticed this pretty little white fish with an aqua blue strip down both sides of its spine.  This cute little fish followed Matt ad I during our entire snorkel.  Close enough to be with us but far enough away that Matt could not touch her.  It was like having our own private tour guide.  After about 45 minutes to an hour we met Wayne back at the dingy where he told us about the grotto and signs.  What?  We missed that, so we hopped back in the water and checked out all of the underwater signs about the coral and sea life in that area. We also explored the grotto which was a tide pool with its own entrance and exit.  Inside here it was a little more protected, but just as beautiful!  One of the best experiences I’ve had for shizzle!

And yes, for those who read all the way to the bottom of the post, Matt did manage to get buck naked on buck island. 🙂