St. John Sea Salt from Salt Pond Bay

How Does the Salt Get There?
Saltwater enters the pond from the sea by seepage at high tides and by waves breaking over the surface during storms. Salt Pond is one of the only places on St. John that is below sea level. This condition prevents significant amounts of pond water from flowing back out to sea. Constant, intense sunlight and ever-present trade winds encourage an exceptionally high rate of evaporation. When rain is scarce, the water becomes extremely salty. Water can only hold a certain amount of salt in solution and when the salinity of the pond reaches that point, the salt crystallizes.

As the water level continues to drop, and more and more water is evaporated, a layer of salt is left along the edges of the pond. The longer the dry period, the higher the temperature, and the stronger the winds, the more this salt layer will extend towards the center of the pond and the thicker the layer becomes.

You can collect salt during these times by scooping up the salt with your hands, if it is still wet and soft. If the salt layer is dry and hard, use a knife or other sharp tool. (If you’ve forgotten to bring a container, just walk over to nearby Drunk Bay where there is a great deal of flotsam, and you’ll probably find something you can use.)

After the salt is collected, drain off as much water as possible and put it in the sun to dry further. You may be left with fine powdery salt, which you can enjoy on your food immediately or, if the dried crystals are large, you will first need to grind them up or pound them out.

The salt obtained from salt ponds is particularly tasty and healthy, containing all the minerals that are present in the sea, which include all those essential to the human body. So during the next dry spell, take the trail to St. John’s best salt pond for collecting salt and bring some back home.

Virgin Islands News

UVI Hospitality Program Teaches Locals to ‘Leave ‘Em Smiling’
By Molly Morris — April 28, 2013

“Always leave them with a smile, that’s what makes them want to come back,” said Tamara Lang, director of the University of the Virgin Islands Hotel and Tourism Management program, whose goal is exactly that…. Read more

St. John Weather

High Surf Advisory!
Partly cloudy with rain showers
High of 84 degrees F
Winds from the ENE at 10 to 15 mph
Chance of rain 30%
Water temperature (Charlotte Amalie Harbor, St. Thomas): 86 degrees F
Sunset: 6:39 PM AST

St. John Live Music Schedule

Aqua Bistro
Lauren Jones
3:30 – 6:30
776-5336

Beach Bar
Barefoot Davis
5:00
777-4220

Concordia
Bo
Sunday Brunch 10:00 am

Cruz Bay Prime
Mark Wallace
7:00 – 10:00
693 -8000

High Tide
Lemuel Callwood Steel Pan
4:00 – 6:00
714-6169

Island Blues
Van Gordon Martin
776 – 6800

Miss Lucy’s
Sambacombo
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
693-5254

Ocean Grill
David Laab
6:30 – 9:00
693-3304

Rhumblines
T-Bird
7:00 – 10:00

Shipwreck Landing
Hot Club
7:00 – 10:00

Sun Dog Cafe
David Laab
11:00 am- 2:00 pm
244-9713

See Weekly Schedule

Lameshur Bay

Lameshur Bay
Lameshur Bay, the next beach to the west of Salt Pond Bay is another good option for those seeking to escape the waves that occasionally effect the beaches of St. John’s north shore. It’s a good choice for those who would prefer not to have a hike to the beach as, unlike Salt Pond Bay, you can park right alongside the beach. Lamesur also has ruins to explore and access to two hiking trails, the Lameshur Bay Trail and the Bordeaux Mountain Trail.

Wondering which beach to go to today? Check out the St. John Beach Guide

St. John News
V.I. Government Addresses AA Liquor Box Charges
By Lynda Lohr — January 2, 2013
Fearing that a change is afoot in American Airline’s policy of waiving the checked bag fee for one box of liquor, Gov. John deJongh Jr. wrote to an airline official urging that the free checked box continue to be allowed.

“There have been lots of rumblings by visitors who understand the waiver may be removed,” Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson Doty said Wednesday. Doty said liquor purchased at the airport store located past the passenger inspection area can be carried onboard, but people who buy it elsewhere have to check the box because it contains more than the three ounces allowed to be carried on in a quart-sized plastic bag.

Making people pay to check their liquor box will have a big impact, Doty said. “It becomes a significant cost to the traveler.”… read more

St. John Weather
Clear with rain showers in the morning, then partly cloudy with rain showers.
High of 84 degrees F
Breezy: Winds from the North at 15 to 20 mph shifting to the ENE in the afternoon.
Chance of rain 20%.
Water Temperature (Charlotte Amalie Harbor) 84 degrees F

St. John Live Music Schedule Friday January 4

Aqua Bistro
Stephan Sloan
5:30 – 8:30
776-5336

Barefoot Cowboy Lounge
Michael Beason
7:00 – 9:00
201-1236

Beach Bar
Inner Vision
9:00
777-4220

Castaways
Mikey P 8:00
Dance Party 11:00
777-3316

Cinnamon Bay
Eddie Bruce Drum Circle
6:30 – 8:00

High Tide
Inner Visions
9:00
714-6169

Inn at Tamarind Court
Steel Pan
6:00 – 9:00
776 6378

Island Blues
Slammin
776 6800

Morgan’s Mango
Lauren Jones
6:00 – 9:30
693-8141

Ocean Grill
T-Bird
6:30 – 9:00
693-3304

Rhumblines
Erin Hart
7:00 – 10:00

Spyglass
James Milne
5:00 – 8:00
776-1100

Shipwreck Landing
Tropical Sounds
7:00-10:00

Skinny Legs
Chris Carsel & Company
6:30 – 9:30
779 4982

See Weekly Music Schedule

Salt Pond Bay

St. John Beaches: Salt Pond Bay – A South Shore Alternative
When the surf’s pounding on the north and you’re looking for a quiet beach alternative, think Salt Pond Bay on the Southeastern coast. Not only is Salt Pond Bay protected from the north swells, but it also has access to some of St. John’s best snorkeling. For hikers, Salt Pond is also ideal, with access to the popular Ram Head and Drunk Bay trails.

Wondering which beach to go to today? Check out the St. John Beach Guide

St. John News
Maho Bay Camps Land Sold
By Lynda Lohr — January 2, 2013

Details are sketchy, but the land where Maho Bay Camps sits was sold last week for $13.95 million to an unnamed buyer.

“The only clue we’ve had is it’s a wealthy conservationist who wants a one-family house. It’s a wild rumor and not substantiated,” Maho owner Stanley Selengut said Wednesday.

Realtor Karye Carney at Islandia Real Estate on St. John was the listing agent, but she said she was not the agent that sold the property and didn’t know who bought the 13.8-acre parcel of prime waterfront land…. read more

St. John Weather
High Surf Advisory in Effect
Clear with rain showers in the morning, then overcast with rain showers.
High of 84 degrees F
Breezy: Winds from the East at 15 to 20 mph.
Chance of rain 20%.
Sunrise: 6:51 AM AST – Sunset: 5:55 PM AST
Water Temperature (Charlotte Amalie Harbor, St. Thomas) 85 degrees F

St. John Live Music Schedule – Thursday January 3

Banana Deck
Steel Pan by Lemuel Samuels
6:00 – 9:00
693-5055

Barefoot Cowboy Lounge
Erin Hart
7:00 – 9:00
201-1236

Castaways
James
9:00
777-3316

Miss Lucy’s
Jazz with Rich and Greg
6:00 – 9:00
693-5354

Morgan’s Mango
Mark Wallace
6:00 – 9:30
693-8141

Ocean Grill
Chris Carsel
6:30 – 9:00
693-3304

Rhumblines
Erin Hart
7:00 – 10:00

Spyglass
James Milne
5:00 – 8:00
776-1100

Inn at Tamarind Court
Steel Pan
6:00 – 9:00
776-1100

See Weekly Music Schedule

Salt Pond Bay

ST. JOHN FILM – PRESS RELEASE

Free Movie Night:  QUEEN OF THE SUN

Tuesday May 1 , 2012, 7:30 PM, St. John School of the Arts, Cruz Bay

St. John Film is proud to present another award winning film about bees.

In 1923, Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian scientist, philosopher and social innovator, predicted that in 80 to 100 years honeybees would collapse. Now, beekeepers around the United States and around the world are reporting an incredible loss of honeybees, a phenomenon deemed “Colony Collapse Disorder.” Bees are disappearing in mass numbers from their hives with no clear single explanation. The queen is there, honey is there, but the bees are gone.

For the first time, in an alarming inquiry into the insights behind Steiner’s prediction QUEEN OF THE SUN: What Are the Bees Telling Us? investigates the long-term causes behind the dire global bee crisis through the eyes of bio-dynamic beekeepers, commercial beekeepers, scientists and philosophers. QUEEN OF THE SUN features world renowned bio-dynamic beekeeper Gunther Hauk, New York Times bestselling-author Michael Pollan, Indian Activist Vandana Shiva, and a compelling cast of characters from around the world. Together they take us on a journey through the catastrophic disappearance of bees and into the mysterious world of the beehive. The film unveils 10,000 years of beekeeping, illuminating the deep link between humans and bees and how that historic and sacred relationship has been lost due to highly mechanized industrial practices. Beekeeper Gunther Hauk calls the crisis, “More important even than global warming. We could call it Colony Collapse of the human being too.”

Bees are the engines that keep the earth in bloom. QUEEN OF THE SUN presents the bee crisis as a global wake-up call and illuminates a growing movement of beekeepers, community activists and scientists who are committed to renewing a culture in balance with nature.

The post film discussion promises to be equally engaging with St. John’s own bee keepers including Mr. Smalls.

St. John Live Music – Wednesday April 18

Aqua Bistro – Rascio on Steel Pan – 5:30 – 8:30 – 776-5336
Castaways – Kenny Floyd – 8:00 – 777-3316
Coconut Coast Studios – St. John Flutes – 776-6944
Cruz Bay Prime – Samba Combo – 7:00 – 10:00 – 693 -8000
Driftwood Dave’s – Paradise People – 7:00 – 10:00 – 777-4015
High Tide – Chris Carsel – 6:00 – 9:00 – 714-6169
Sun Dog Cafe – Wednesday Night Jam – 7:30-10:00 – 244-9713

See Weekly Schedule

Hawksbill Turtle on the reef off Salt Pond Bay

No More discount for St. John Residents at St. John Gourmet and Dolphin Markets
St. John Gourmet and Dolphin markets have eliminated their 10% local’s discount on sales more that $50. They now offer, however, a 15% discount for Westin Guests. I feel dissed! Meanwhile Starfish Market prices are through the roof, way more than Dolphin and St. John Gourmet, no local’s discount notwithstanding. I guess it’s, plan your week’s shopping needs, and shop on St. Thomas. Normally I would prefer to support St. John businesses, but what’s a local to do?

No Blues Fest Blues Fest
Today – Coral Bay, St. John
The St. John Blues Festival will not be happening this year, but there will be the “No Blues Fest Blues Fest” instead, with local bands preforming at the Tall Ship and Shipwreck Landing parking lot today between 1:00 and 5:00 pm. A shuttle service will be available from the Coral Bay triangle.

St. John Live Music Schedule Saturday April 7

Beach Bar – I.R.E – 9:00 – 777-4220
Castaways – Dance Party – 11:00 – 777-3316
Driftwood Dave’s – Guitarist James Milne – 7:00 – 10:00 – 777-4015
Morgan’s Mango – Luba  – 6:00 – 9:30 – 693-8141
Ocean Grill – Rascio on Steel Pan – 6:00 – 9:30 – 693-3304
Rhumblines – Lauren – 7:00 – 10:00
Shipwreck Landing – Mike Miknut – 6:00 – 9:30
Skinny Legs – Hot Club of Coral Bay  – 6:30 – 9:30 – 779-4982
Spyglass – James Cobb – 5:00 – 8:00 – 776-1100

See Weekly Schedule

St. John Weather
Today: Isolated showers. Sunny, with a high near 84. East wind between 7 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 10%. Water Temperature 83 degrees. Sunset 6:34 pm

Snorkeling Salt Pond Bay, St John US Virgin Islands (USVI)

The latest edition of St. John Off the Beaten Track includes a section called “Favorite Snorkels.” The Salt Pond Bay Snorkel, which I’ll discuss in today’s blog was not included, but it really should have been.

The reef that I snorkeled was around the big rocks that you see at the mouth of the bay. (See the Google Maps satellite image below)

This is an excellent snorkel experience involving a coral reef, surrounding several large boulders some of which extend past the surface and a healthy seagrass bed on the periphery.

Salt Pond Bay Snorkel

Blue Tang (Acanthurus coeruleus)	Pillar Coral (Dendrogyra cylindrus)	Yellowhead Wrasse at Salt Pond Bay Coral Reef
Sea Fan (Gorgonia ventalina)	Coral Reef Sponges	Caribbean Reef Squid (Sepioteuthis sepioidea)
Longspine Squirrelfish (Holocentrus rufus)	Google Maps Satellite Image of snorkel area

Video of squid swimming on the periphery of the reef