Virgin Islands Signs

Having just returned from a five-day trip to the US Virgin Islands, I am still sorting through 2000+ photos. For this post, I chose a few warning signs I found along the way.

You really wouldn’t want to step on a sea urchin; they are spiky little creatures. However, since most of the ocean floor near the beach was covered with sea weed, you couldn’t see what you were walking on. I am fairly sure I would have known immediately if my foot was coming to rest on something very pointy and painful. Thanks to the warning sign, I would have a name to go with that scenario. A warning sign alerts you to what might be lurking beneath…

The blue sign above the front of this safari bus informs anyone capable of reading that they are in a “Tsunami Hazard Zone.” There were other signs along a road leading up the mountain that indicated that we were driving along the island’s “Tsunami Evacuation Route.”

Tsunami hazard zone

A sign warning of danger from an entirely different source was posted at a concession stand near the beach:

Bird warning

I once had my ice cream stolen by a stealthy seagull while I was walking through the streets of a seaport town. So I know how bold a hungry bird can get.

I found these decals posted on the door jamb of a life guard station:

Now, if you had to out-run a hurricane, would you really want to weigh yourself down with a case of beer?

A very large sign at the end of the beach advised visitors that they could not use jet skis and that they were beyond the reach of local beach authority should they go any further. Since there was a very steep mountain rising out of the sea, covered with huge cacti and other seemingly impenetrable vegetation, it was highly unlikely that anyone would try to leave the clean sandy beach to step on cactus needles. But you never know how confused someone might get, especially if they are trying to observe hurricane evacuation procedures with beer in tow.

No jet skis

And this sign could be interpreted as a cautionary statement: “You may lose your shoes here if you try walking through the deep sand. So hold on to them.” Or, as an invitation: “Feel free to kick of your shoes and walk barefoot.”

That’s exactly what I did…go shoeless… and didn’t step on a single sea urchin.

For more sign posts, check WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Signs.