While little happens on St. John that’s unexpected or jarring, we do get some really fun surprises every now and again. Like the hermit crab migration, or an earthquake, or sea salt. Yep, sea salt. Very exciting. Sea salt is not on any schedule, we never know when it will appear and be ready to harvest from the pond. It is a rare occurrence, happening just twice in the last 5 years, when Mother Nature crafts the perfect weather recipe to coax the salt from its water home.
Salt pond water evaporates in the hot sun and salt crystals form on the surface. Many days without rain, the crystals get heavier and eventually sink. The heavy salt and continued evaporation produces mounds that are easily accessible from the shoreline.The sea salt is not only special, it’s delicious. And makes a great shower scrub and coffee pot cleaner, among other things. If only the hermit crabs were as functional.