Snorkeling was amazing. Period. It really was. Getting out in the perfect temperature of water with it even cooler and refreshing further down. We saw so so so many different fish and coral. Definitely not as bright as national geographic but in volume there were a heck of a lot of them. There were fan coral to brain coral to anemones to brittle stars. The fist were the brightest of them all with the parrot fish in vibrant blues and greens. It was so so so wonderful to see all swaying beneath you. Every now and then you would get this trippy sense that the ground was moving out from underneath you and you were just stationary. Everyone was at a different level of comfortability with their snorkel gear. I am trying to get the divers together so we can get a good rate on diving costs for our tank and equipment rentals. This area where we are is now considered a diving destination for "younger people" as Dr. Gilchrist says.
The time that we had out on the water was like nothing I had ever seen. I had been in the kelp forests in California but never a place with coral everywhere. Sometimes it seemed as though it would be he same coral over and over but just when you would be thinking that a new species would pop up or swim out. I found that the closer I looked under the shelves the more I found. The following are pictures that I got:
Apologies for the blurry ones! I am trying to perfect the art of being still and focusing on something small!
After we came ashore with Dr. Gilchrist we would come in or go out for a little while longer. I stayed out to explore the southern half of the water and below the dock with Austin, Adam, and Thomas. It was really interesting to see what was attached to the dock as opposed to what we had seen on the other side. After we came in we all rinsed off, hung out, or rested until dinner. I got a couple of good pictures of people while others struggled to crack open coconut after coconut and while Kona the coconut crazy dog waited for the pieces to be thrown for her to fetch. Dinner was tiny burgers (roasted veggies for the veg. people) and home made potatoes fries. One thing I can definitely say is between hiking up and down the side of the mountain to our cabin and all the swimming we are doing there's a bonfire of calories!!
After dinner we had a small meeting about the background of Honduras and safety precautions that should be headed. Apparently much of the land is being transitioned from Honduran families who have had the land in the family for generations to non-Honduran ownership. The amount of money being offered for these areas is a promise of a better life and education for their children. Cayos Cochinos used to be called Plantation Beach Resort but since then has changed, though the remnants of the plantation are still visible. The island that we are on is set apart from many of our neighbors because it is not part of the volcanic circle that many of the others are part of. Because of this there is not much lava evidence but there are other smaller traces that have washed over from the other islands. We also learned that barracudas like shiny things but there have only been 12 bites to humans ever. Basic rules of thumb: 1. "Don't molest the fish" 2. Don't wear shiny things cause we don't need a lucky 13th 3. Watch your heads for falling coconuts, 4. Overall rule. Don't touch the coral!!!
I ended the day relaxing on top of the dock staring up at the dimmer stars and the blindingly bright moon. It was so silent except for the occasional notes of Codee playing her guitar drifting down from the mountain.
The day ends and it seems like we were so busy and yet all we did was eat, ride a boat, snorkel and eat again. I wonder what its gonna be like when were are actually busy. ...
I'm exhausted and there's another day ahead! I'm out!
More videos to come!
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