Day 9--All-Day Snorkel Tour

Yesterday most of our tour wanted the All Day Snorkel Tour. The weather held—the trip was a GO, so we had to book at 8 am to get fitted with fins and masks. (For the 10 am sail). I discovered that they had prescription masks. I tried one and LIKED it. (Deposit required).

We were in a big sail boat which held the 14 snorklers and 5 crew. Sun came out—sunscreen came out as motored along toward the reef and against the wind for about 45 minutes.

At the first stop, we geared up and went over the side (some of us much less gracefully than others, I’m afraid) and once I got the knack of breathing through my mouth, I was ok. The sea was rough though, so waves sometimes got into my tube/mouth, and I had to remind myself that I probably wouldn’t drown. We saw big nurse sharks, stingrays, and sea turtles feeding on the bottom. WOW. One turtle came up for a gulp of air right under Marina and she petted it.

Back on the boat, we moved on to the second stop—a channel right at the reef. The viewing area was a long swim from the boat—more than I wanted to attempt in those seas. Rob and most of the others saw many, many kinds of coral, and a huge turtle with three remoras on its back. The hoped-for Hammerheads were not there.

Third stop was primarily masses of coral and little fishies a plenty very near the surface. What a magical world that is.

We were well patrolled by crew who went into the water with us and kept us in small tight groups for safety, BTW.

After the third stop, the sail went up (huge sail) and the rum punch came out. Also, the shrimp ceviche and tortilla chips.(I forgot to say that after the first stop, we were served a beautiful lunch of pasta salad, chicken, beans with rice with fruit being passed around.)

Reggae music, hot sun and stiff, warm breezes—and did I mention the rum punch?—as we sailed back to port. Really a perfect day!

We all got together for our final dinner on Cay Caulker—a seafood place where you choose your victim from a table out front which is then transferred to a plate to be taken to the kitchen for cooking. Rob and I had a big piece of grouper (we’d had lobster and shrimp the night before). Group picture followed before we bade each other farewell and scurried to the hotel to pack.

Off to the dock!