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The three of us were hiking toward Waterlemon Cay on the island of St. John when a small brown creature dashed across our path.

"Mongoose!" exclaimed Fiona.

She challenged us, "Do you know what the plural of mongoose is?"

Elizabeth and I were not too sure, but we knew Fiona would tell us.

"Here on the island it is 'mongoose dem.' "

There was plenty of interesting wildlife to observe on St. John, one of the three U.S. Virgin Islands.

These were among the many islands collectively called the "West Indies" that Columbus happened upon during his explorations for the Spanish crown. The island is only 22 square miles, but the extreme hills (average slopes are a 30 percent grade), narrow roads and 20-mph speed limit make it a bit of a challenge to get around.

Oh, and let us not forget that even though the steering column is on the left in most vehicles (like most of us are used to), one must drive on the left side of the road. The result is lots of vehicles with scrapes from sideswipes and bent fenders from what the locals call "mash-ups."

Elizabeth and I had the good fortune to be staying with our special friend, Fiona. She found an idyllic home for a few months overlooking majestic Fish Bay by serving as a house- and pet-sitter. Since she was self-employed as an editor, she could do her work from virtually anywhere, and this place happened to be paradise.

One of the things that made St. John a paradise was the aforementioned wildlife. A chatty little yellow bird was often seen on the trails. I later learned it was the official bird of the islands, called the "bananaquit." It resembled a cross between a Carolina wren and a yellow warbler. Although omnivorous, it has developed a curved bill for taking nectar from flowers.

We saw some unidentified blue-green hummingbirds, as well. There were several species of gecko, including the inch-long dwarf gecko, and various lizards, including tree-dwelling iguanas.

Fiona was a great guide to these animals and also let us know where the best trails and snorkeling spots were, such as Rams Head and Jumbie Bay. A few days later, our friend Ari joined us from stateside and we had a fantastic time sampling seafood at the restaurants in Cruz Bay.

For a little background, the three U.S. Virgin Islands — St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John — were bought by the United States from Denmark in 1917. In 1956, the Virgin Islands National Park was created to preserve some of the best snorkeling and diving in the world.

Every time I ventured below the surface, nature revealed itself in some different form. The reefs around St. John contain 50 coral species, sponges, various gorgonians and fish of all colors in the spectrum.

The first big thrill I experienced was swimming alongside a hawksbill sea turtle. One of the most amazing moments came when I swam through a thick sea of glass minnows (anchovies) and came upon a school of huge silver tarpon.

Perhaps the most unusual species encountered was the Caribbean reef squid. A member of the inquisitive cuttlefish family, the iridescent squids would hover in small groups that were as curious about me as I was about them.

Having a week to explore gave us time to experience much of St. John, including the quirky wild donkeys that often wandered across the road in search of browse. They were in no hurry, as they, like us, were on island time.

One of our favorite beaches was in a quaint little cove known mostly to locals. We explored the reefs and marveled at the sea creatures.

Occasionally, a boat would come into the area and anchor, but we did not see many people. Then, late in the afternoon on our last day, a couple walked by on our beach. Elizabeth looked up from her book and did an incredulous double-take. She recognized the two young folks whose wedding we had photographed a few days earlier in Durham. They were here on their honeymoon.

We shook our heads as we packed up our towels and headed home. Meanwhile, the sun was setting on our favorite beach, the one called Rendezvous Bay.

Anthony Vinson Smith is a freelance photographer and writer who lives in Gibsonville. Contact him at avsphoto@bellsouth.net or visit his Web site at anthonyvinsonsmith.com.