Anemones and Other Friends

I’m in the western Atlantic Ocean as I type this, headed toward Puerto Rico. I had to look it up because I wasn’t sure if the Bahamas is in the Caribbean and apparently technically it is not. But I’m getting ahead of myself, so I’ll start by looking back at the last few days.

I left Portland on the 4th (today is the 9th though I started writing this yesterday) to fly to West Palm Beach, Florida, then rented a car and drove an hour or so north to visit an aunt and uncle, specifically my mother’s younger brother. To say that they spoiled me would understate their hospitality, but suffice to say that I didn’t go hungry. My 80-year old uncle was even a great sport about taking a walk he claimed (wrongly, I assume) was longer than any walk he’d taken since his army days in Vietnam. I got to meet some extended family for the first time and enjoyed time visiting with family I only rarely see. We watched some of the US House of Representatives shenanigans as they took 15 votes to elect the Speaker, though didn’t stay up for the final vote as it, much like sports, is easier to watch on the west coast where it doesn’t interfere with bedtime. 

Saturday the 7th I left early to drive south to Fort Lauderdale, with a quick detour to Boca Raton for a tasty and fun breakfast at the home of a cousin and his wife (my mother’s sister’s son) and as a bonus, I got to meet another first cousin once removed. Then, after fighting a bit of traffic, I boarded the ship for a 2-week cruise. If all goes well, I will visit Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos, Honduras and Belize for the first time, and visit Bahamas and Dominican Republic for the second time. Our group of 50 geocachers includes some many friends and people I’ve traveled with before as well as some new people. 

Yesterday (the 8th) we went to Princess Cays, a private part of an island in the Bahamas. Each cruise line seems to have its own property in the Bahamas which allows them to offer a “day at the beach” to their customers without having to pay port fees and where the only way to spend money returns to the ship’s coffers (perhaps I’m a bit cynical). We took a tender from the ship to the shore then arrived at a very “sanitized” tourist location. One day I want to visit Bahamas for real, as both “visits” have been to cruise ship-owned places. 

I had the privilege of helping a friend become more comfortable snorkeling. We started with making sure the mask will suction on the face, then I told him that he could skip the “make sure your hair isn’t between the mask and your face” step which resulted in the equivalent of an eye-roll. We waded in, donned mask/snorkel and fins, practiced breathing, and shortly moved to slightly deeper water. After a few minutes he had the hang of it, and was able to see some fish and coral. 

I’m not sure how long I was in the water during our morning snorkel, but I relished every moment. I also relished every moment of an after-lunch snorkel. Such a treat to wade into aqua water that’s warm with just a gentle tide that sounded more like a lake’s ripple than the crashing waves I’m used to. The snorkeling was pleasant but by no means spectacular. There was a small rock formation (likely not natural), with a variety or corals on it. Alas, the only coral I specifically recognized was brain coral because, well, it does look rather like a brain with generally a curved exterior with lots of ridges (no, not like ruffles, these ridges are less regular and go in various directions). There was a lichen-like white coral with a yellow edge that reminded me of a caution sign. 

Lots of fish. It was like seeing old friends. Sargeant majors are yellow with white horizontal stripes, some separated by little black stripes almost as though they were in a coloring book. Blue headed wrasse have, not surprisingly, a blue (one might call it teal) head, then a more greenish translucent body. Parrotfish, not to be confused at all with parrotheads, seem like a translucent almost opalesque rainbow. A different parrotfish seemed to be black with a cobalt blue edge on all parts of the body in the morning; during my second snorkeling time they were more light to medium gray with the same cobalt blue edge, so clearly they “change color” as the light changes. My internal dialog was “hello old friend. I remember you. Wow.” Then a squirrel moment when I’d recognize another familiar fish and want to “greet” that one. The fairy basslet which I think of as the “Lakerfish” because they are half gold and half purple like the LA Lakers’ (basketball team) colors. Small fish that seemed guppy-sized swam just below the surface of the water. Schools of fish, individuals swimming without others from their species. Trumpetfish that look to be the diameter, and perhaps shape, of a toilet paper roll with a narrow “point” at the mouth. And so many others. 

And sea anemones. My favorites tidepooling organism. There was a cluster of them, white with purple on the ends of their “arms”, and they looked much like a head of broccoli though with the sea anemone opening and waving with the current. I could have watched them for a very long time, and some might say that I did. There was an interesting white, mostly stationary, organism that I didn’t recognize and haven’t been able to identify online. They were mushroom like in that they were on a “stem” that didn’t move, but entirely different in that the gossamer white top was a bit like an inverted parasol. These, too, waved with the current. Something that might have been purple sea fans were also current-wavers.There were even loose algae-like plants that weren’t attached that reminded me of tumbleweeds. 

Just before getting out of the water in the afternoon, I spent some time looking at the sand. Lots of shell fragments, and some tiny whole shells. I collected a few, took a couple of pictures of them in my hand, showed them to a friend, then returned them to the ocean. 

Without getting too far ahead of myself, and at the same time stating the obvious, I’m looking forward to snorkeling a bit more this trip. It should be obvious that I enjoyed the snorkeling, it’s only at this point that I’m even mentioning the geocaches we found. 

I started typing this yesterday afternoon but the muse wasn’t there. So I’m finishing from my balcony this morning. I came out here to wordle and quordle, and enjoy listening to the sounds of the ocean as the boat moves slowly south on our first sea day of the cruise.