the most amazing snorkel ever!!!

yesterday we met up with some friends to go snorkeling at west bay.  i can truly say it was the BEST snorkel ever!!   first off:  it was sooo clear!!  i have issues with visualibility always because of not wearing glasses but i could see!!  it was incredible.

we didn't have our camera so i uploaded some photos from the internet so you could have a visual.


secondly we went with a group and the more people.. the more chances that someone will see something!   both bob and ron can dive down so a couple of times they would roost up turtles.  i love swimming with turtles!!!


it is very peaceful to watch them slowly glide through the water and over the reef.  i am amazed at how they can camoflauge themselves though.  there was a little baby turtle on the sand and so bob swam down towards it and it immediately it swam to the coral and laid so still that if you didn't know it was there you'd think it was a piece of the reef.   brilliant!

 http://afrosistance.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/sea-turtle.jpg

the highlight for us was when ron spotted an eagle ray laying on the bottom.  i have seen eagle rays before but i haven't ever seen them swim.  well when ron swam down this big one started to swim and it was absolutely incredible!!!!!!  they are so graceful.  we were in relatively shallow water (maybe about 20 feet) so we could see him beautiful.   they flap their sides to propel forward and i thought they looked like a bird under the water!!!
it swam around us for quite awhile.  at one point he swam right under me.

 http://www.ravensroost79.com/images/fish/eagle_ray.jpg

the guys spotted a HUGE barracuda nestled in amongst some coral.   i hate barracuda .. they scare the living daylights out of me. i hadn't ever seen one so large before.. this was about 3 feet long.  ron swam down a couple of times to get some photos and i think mr. barracuda was ticked off because he charged at ron and nudged his fin. it was at that point that i took off swimming and got out of there!!  i can swim fast when i put my mind to it.

some other things we saw:  a huge midnight parrot fish, several angel fish, a boxfish, parrot fish, as well as the usual grubs, butterfly fish, squirrel fish etc.

http://www.divesearobin.com/Photo-gallery/images/BoxFish.jpg

it was a day to remember!
i am so grateful to live here.
we came home, a little sunburnt but truly in awe of His wonderful underwater creation!!

btw, happy mother's day! i hope you have a wonderful day.  we are heading out this afternoon for another snorkel.   i wish my kids could be here to share in that!