Pirate Hideout! Location: Sopers Hole - Tortola Island, BVI Day 19 by Wayne & Karen Brown

The word "hole" means cove or small harbor. This is a small cove. It is between two tall, steep hills. The hill on the north side of the hole is the western tip of Tortola. The hill on the south side is the tiny island, Frenchman's Cay. Between Tortola and Frenchman's Cay is a shallow lagoon surrounded by mangrove forest. (We explored a mangrove forest in St. Lucia during The Caribbean Sea Expedition.)

In the old days (the 1600's) Sopers Hole used to be a pirate hideout! The pirates are long gone but the stories are still told by those that live here. As Yorktown cruises into the cove we see a large pirate flag flying from a pole on shore. The flag is black with a white human skull and crossed swords. The pirate flag is known as the Jolly Roger. Jolly Roger is from the French words "Jolie Rouge" which means "pretty red’. This name is from the original pirate flags that were bright red. When pirates flew their bright red flag it meant that they were going to kill everyone on the ship they were about to attack. Pirates used bright red flags until about 1700. After that the pirate flags where all black (black meant death) with different pictures that usually included white skulls and crossed bones or swords.

Sopers Hole was the first settlement on Tortola. It used to be biggest pirate hideout in the Virgin Islands. The cove was deep enough to anchor their larger ships. The hills surrounding the cove hid it and protected it from strong winds and rough seas. That protection made this a great place for pirates to safely anchor and repair their ships. The hills also made great lookouts were pirates could watch for enemies or for ships they could attack. The shallow mangrove lagoon was just deep enough for the smaller, attack boats that most pirates liked to use. The coral reefs nearby were good places to find food such as fish, conch, lobsters, and turtles. Tortola had good drinking water and lots of food to find. On Tortola there were fresh water springs, fruit trees and wild pigs, goats and pigeons. There were also big trees for making and repairing ships.

A pirate is a person who attacks and robs ships. Most pirates were men, but a few women also became pirates. Pirates were sailing the Caribbean for about 300 years, from the 1500's to the early-1700's. For pirates in the Virgin Islands Sopers Hole was a popular spot. Many famous pirates visited Sopers Hole, including one of the most famous of all -- Blackbeard! In the Caribbean most pirates were gone before the United States had the Revolutionary War. By the end of the 1720's the British Royal Navy had stopped the activities of pirates in the Caribbean and throughout the world.

We are glad the pirates are long gone. We would not want our ship attacked by pirates!

Join us tomorrow as we visit Salt Island, where the R.M.S. Rhone is sunk, and finally take our snorkeling tour of the smaller British Virgin Islands.

Best Fishes,
Wayne & Karen

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Yorktown Clipper leaves Virgin Gorda (on the left). Next to the American flag is Great Dog Island (where we have been diving and snorkeling at Coral Gardens). (Enlarge the picture an in the distant center are the hills on Tortola.)

The speed boat, in the center of the picture is going into Sopers Hole. The hills of Tortola surround it on two sides. The dark hill on the right is Frenchman's Cay.

The Jolly Roger is a pirate flag. The pirates flew it to scare the people on the ships they were going to attack.

Sopers Hole is now a tiny village popular with sailors. Just like the old pirates of old sailors today can anchor here protected from storms and rough seas, get food and water and have their boats repaired.