On the second part of our journey, we were hiking on Cas Cay, St Thomas. After getting out of our kayaks on Cas Cay, we started walking on a path made of shells and sand. During this part of the trip, I recommend wearing shoes that you are comfortable walking in. You also shouldn’t take off your shoes for this part because there are many rocks, coral and shells that can hurt your feet. The water was crystal clear and we saw little minnows making their way along the bank.
Soon we came to a little clearing. Looking around we saw hermit crab shells scattered around. The guide told us that this was the hermit crab racing arena. We chose a hermit crab and placed it in the little arena for the hermit crab race. We chose a very big one and it was cute. But it turned out to be slow. When I picked it up, it kept coming out to bite my finger. But don’t worry. All you have to do is when the hermit crab comes out, just touch its claw and it will retreat back into its shell.
After the hermit crab race, we put the crabs where we found them and we kept walking. Along the way, our guide pointed out a poisonous plant. If you ever see this plant, do not touch it.
We then arrived at an area where the river meets the sea. We got to see sea urchins and something similar to sea stars but bigger. They need water though, so if you pick any up, you’ll need to dip them in the water every so often. This is a good chance to get photos of the ocean and feel the gentle breeze.
A little further along the shore, we came to the blowhole. When the waves come up, the shape of the rocks makes a loud blowing sound and shoots the water up about 20 feet into the air. The water looks really neat because of the way it comes up. Be careful on the rocks though. It is slippery so you can fall. I recommend shoes that grip onto surfaces to help keep you stable.
It would have been easy to spend a whole day walking around the shore of Cas Cay, but we headed back to our kayaks for the next round of our adventure: snorkeling!