We left the ship early this morning after a brief breakfast at the Windjammer. A huge line of open air buses waited with locals yelling out destinations and rustling up customers. A little intimidating... we were asked where we wanted to go and we said a beach with fish and bathrooms. We were loaded onto a bus driven by our strangely captivating driver, Mel Brooks, and headed to Coki Point Beach. All beaches in St. Thomas are public, even if on hotel property, so the bonus is that you get to enjoy the hotel-like beach experience while you are there. All the men hustle people all day for cash and tallies are kept. Rules about stealing each others customers (or potential customers) are enforced with strong yelling competitions and rude gestures. We were assigned a local gentleman with great dreadlocks on the beach who found us a spot and set up our two beach chairs (we only got two as they cost you as does everything) and got our snorkel gear which we were delighted to find out we could rent. He looked at our feet and knew our shoes sizes almost without asking. We were claimed as his and paid and tipped him for his most efficient help. Holly went off with a woman to the braiding hut and got some beaded braids, while James and I took turns in the water so our stuff would not be left unattended. It was amazing.... The beach was gorgeous and the water was so blue and there were fish, large and small, in the water. You can buy dog bones to feed the fish - which they really love as we found out and one family even brought a whole box of Milkbones (which we will as well next time). Holly watched Brooke and Cooper while James and I ventured out into the water with our snorkeling gear and flippers on, ensuring at all times there was a Human Buffet buffer zone between us and the dark deep "potentially sharky" water off the beach. We snorkeled and had groups of fish eating right out of our hands - some quite vigorously I might add and there was a larger red warty looking fish that came before I started to realize we had drifted a bit. This is when James decides to grab my leg where I proceeded to freak out and swallow the salt water.... names came to mind that I would love to repeat, but cannot. Luckily, karma kicked in and Jam-ez (note my lingering rage and grudge holding) panicked later and did the same thing. James took Brooke and Cooper out and they were thrilled to be pecked by the fish and get their dog bones eaten. Brooke went for some braided beads as well and, thus, we completed a near perfect nearly three hour beach session. We returned to the ship where the kids showered, had lunch, and went to kids club while James and I returned ashore. We walked around for a bit and bought a dress for me. Found a few souvenirs, but put them back as they were made in other countries (which is beyond ridiculous, at least to me) and decided it was probably time to head back to the ship. Especially after James was approached twice by local men asking if he was "looking for anything SPECIAL" (and yes, special was emphasized). James continues to resist all my good intentions of getting him involved in shipboard activities, such as the men's bellyflop competition tomorrow - missed opportunities if you ask me :). Brooke and Cooper returned to kids club after a mouthwatering dinner in the dining room and are both excited to participate in a pirate parade tonight around the ship. They are dressing up as pirates and they get to meet the captain. This trip is incredible, would be a little more so if James was not possessed by the spirits of all the dying whales which is manifested at night oddly enough when the spirits rage whenever we attempt to close our eyes....help.