Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Today, the island is a national park and bird sanctuary for noddies, boobies, gulls and
terns. There is good diving at
Dead Chest West
and
Painted Walls
, where sponges and
cup corals light up the sides of canyons with brilliant yellow, crimson, red, blue, white and
orange.
As with many of the national park islands, you must come here on a dive boat or charter
boat and pick up one of the moorings. An ocean swell generally makes mooring here a
rough ride.
The Indians/Pelican Island
Pelican is a small island about 0.5 miles north of Norman Island. Three pinnacles of rock
nearby called the Indians are the main attraction, beloved by divers and snorkelers alike.
Snorkeling is best in the shallows on the Indians' eastern side if the seas are calm. The
diving on the western side features 50ft drops with elkhorn, stag and brain coral.
You'll need your own boat to get here. Come early, when the winds are lighter and the
mooring area is less crowded.
Little Thatch Island
Palm-fringed, blue-sea-kissed Little Thatch is so stereotypically pretty that MasterCard
once featured it in a series of TV commercials as the ultimate island getaway.
You'll need a credit card to visit - the island's private owners, who live at one end of
the 54-acre expanse and are only occasionally in residence, rent out a lone villa:
Seagrape
Cottage ( 284-495-9227;
www.seagrapecottage.net
; villa peak/off peak per week
$7875/6065; )
. The West Indian-style house has a wrap-around veranda, terracotta
floors, bamboo decor and a draped four-poster bed in its one bedroom. The fully equipped
kitchen comes stocked to your request. Outside a king-size hammock, hot tub and barbe-
cue grill beckon - alongside your own beach, of course. Snorkeling gear and a private boat
dock are included gratis.
Little Thatch floats a short distance off Tortola's West End. The resident caretakers can
arrange transportation. Casual visitors on boats are not welcome.
