It’s time to get out on the water aboard Caona, a 47-foot catamaran in the Leeward Islands Charters fleet. At the helm was our captain, Lennox Wallace, and our destination was Shitten Bay, a cove off the southwestern coast of St. Kitts. Caona is moored in Nevis, and the crew and boat met us at the Four Seasons dock for our half-day snorkeling trip. Up went the sails, and we were off! Shitten Bay may not sound so lovely, but the word “shitten” refers to the acacia trees which grow in the area. “Shittim” is the plural of “Shittah,” the Hebrew word for the acacia trees, believed to be holy…
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When you tell others that you are traveling to Nevis, you may receive a puzzled look. They may have heard of its sister island, St. Kitts, which lies just two miles off the coast, but Nevis has not come upon their radar. Nevis is a 36 square-mile island, the center of which is Nevis Peak, rising to 3,232 feet. Christopher Columbus discovered Nevis on his second voyage in 1493, naming it “Nuestra Senora de Las Nieves,” “Our Lady of the Snows,” referring to the small cloud, resembling snow, which is nearly always present at its peak. To its north, you will find St. Kitts, to the east, Antigua, and to the…
