By Claudia Gardner:
Just a short 200 metre lap from the magnificent Half Moon Beach in Green Island in Hanover, lies the enchanting Calico Jack Island, one of the Negril Resort Area’s best kept secrets.
The tiny islet which is annexed to the Half Moon Beach property, is like something from a fairytale.
At Pirate Jack’s Shack, which is the focal point of the island, you are able to dress up and play pirate for a day, get married or even host a private party. And, if you simply want to swim, lie in a hammock and do nothing a day, relax on a piece of rock surrounded by Caribbean blue and be at one with nature, with the only sound being chirping birds in the nearby mangroves, gentle waves kissing the rocks or cool Caribbean breezes gently blowing by, you can certainly do all of that.
Let’s give you some history about this piece of Jamaican perfection.
The Pirates of Negril
The islet was named after Calico Jack Rackham, a notorious 18th century pirate regarded as the Terror of the Caribbean, who, along with his band of robbers, would plunder commercial ships with impunity. Calico Jack, got his name due to his tendency to dress in pants made from calico material.
In October 1720, Calico Jack was eventually captured off the Negril coast where he had anchored after he and his ‘special’ crew had become inebriated or “frass out” as we would say in Jamaican parlance, this after having a grand rum punch party to celebrate their latest heist – the capture of a commercial vessel.
Female Pirates
The band of pirates, which included the famed female duo of the hot-headed Anne Bonney and Mary Read, was pounced upon by soldiers deployed by Jamaican Governor Nicholas Lawes, who had, unknowing to them, been hot on their heels following the robbery which had taken place in Ocho Rios.
According to Rebecca Tortello, in her Pieces of the Past article in the Gleaner, Calico Jack’s crew, which had been caught by surprise and still tipsy from imbibing on copious amounts of rum, fled below deck to take cover.
Of the group of bandits, the two women Anne Bonney and Mary Read, were the only ones who stood their heir place and fought steadily against the soldiers for more than an hour.
The two women, it is reported, occasionally in dramatic fashion, fired gunshots at members of their own crew for behaving like wimps and “not fighting like men”.
‘Their strength was not enough, however, and the vessel was captured. The law had caught up with Calico Jack,” Tortello noted.
She said that Rackham and his crew ‘were brought to trial, an account of which can be found in a 1721 pamphlet at London’s Public Record Office”.
But for the two women who revealed their sex and had their lives spared because they were pregnant, the mercenaries were all convicted for piracy and executed. Calico Jack was executed at Gallow’s Point on the Palisadoes, in Kingston, and his body “gibbeted (exposed on a gallows) on a sandy cay near Port Royal”.
The Island and its Beauty
That 18th century saga aside, (which would make a brilliant movie no doubt) the waters surrounding Calico Jack Island are perfect for snorkeling, as this area has some of the healthiest coral reefs in the Caribbean and beautiful schools of fish. Because the area is a fish sanctuary, fishing is prohibited and so it is a nesting place for baby fish and crustaceans such as crabs and lobsters.
To get to the island, you travel from Half Moon Beach front desk and then travel by engine boat from the beach strip with your captain, or by catamaran for those who opt to voyage by sea from Negril. For reservations check out the website www.halfmoonbeachja.com to get all the details.
Upon approaching the island for the first time, and seeing its black pirate flag emblazoned with the human skull and bones fluttering in the wind, prepare to get a rush of adrenalin – a feeling of filled with either excitement or terror of the unexpected. As you step onto the island the pirate theme is evident, with hand-written signs, piracy emblems, flags and amusing signs stating for example: “Touch my loot, feel my boot”, “Enter if ye dare”, “Beware of Pirates”, and “Keep Out”.
Various drinks are available for purchase at Pirate Jack’s Shack on Calico Jack’s Island, including the type that caused the pirate and his crew to get caught. The food served on the island is awesome and can range from grilled fish or chicken served with rice and peas and tossed salad, as desired, or, during lobster open season, grilled lobster drizzled with garlic butter and other delights.
If you are a Jamaican, whether at home or in the diaspora, or if you are a tourist wanting to see more of what lies beyond the Negril beach, try to put a visit to Calico Jack’s Island on your Staycation list, because with its natural, rustic exquisiteness, this place is one well-preserved spot that you will immediately become enthralled. Far removed from built up areas, but close enough to land, it is a real treasure and a landmark that must be cherished and preserved for posterity, and a must-see.
