15 Mar, Tues.

Tues, 15 Mar. visited more businesses asking for donations for the Marine Park in the morning. met Marti around 2am and we snorkeled the Blue Channel, which is the reef right out in front of my place. it's quite a ways to swim before you get to the reef, so, between the shore and the reef, there's nothing to see, so you just swim, ... quickly and cautiously. because this is also the area where the water taxis run between West End and West Bay. they are supposed to be on the look out for snorkelers, but ...obviously you need to be really alert if you hear/see one and make sure they see you. it was another day of 'snorkeling firsts' for me :) in the shallows on the way out, i spotted this large Trunkfish, busy on it's way somewhere. saw this small Spotted Trunkfish ... a close up, but rather blurry shot of a Yellowhead Wrasse. so we're snorkeling around and all of a sudden i spot this big red-brown blob on top of a huge Brain Coral .... OMG, it's an Octopus !!!!!!!!!! i look up and try to find Marti and yell at her to come see .... BIG mistake ... by the time i look back down, he is slowly sliding off the coral and into a very small hole! i try to get a quick photo ... but i was too late ! the Octopus is the red brown part at the top of the photo ( i am so disappointed ... so stupid ! i barely even saw it myself, just a glance ... damn ! Marti came over and we waited for awhile, but he wasn't coming out again. whaaaaaaaaaa :( so, now i'm snorkeling around looking for another Octopus ... when this bright iridescent green catches my eye .... WOW what it it ? i'm guess a Burrfish ... or some kind of Puffer ??? this time i keep my eyes on him and don't look up or try to tell Marti .... like i did with the octopus !!!!!! a little closer look at those eyes ! spooky .... cool ! my patience paid off, and he eventually came out from under that rock! and all the way out ! awesome ! they are small ... maybe 5" long .... i looked him up, and it's a Balloonfish .... i was close. so this find made up, (a little) for missing that Octopus ... probably a once in a lifetime opportunity! Marti yells at me ... look at this .... what is it ? ...she doesn't know either ... but it's long and skinny and kinda fleshy; about 1-3" wide and probably 2' long. Marti said if i touched it, it would shrivel way up ... it did ! it was quite yucky. i don't think i have to say what i thought it looked like .. :) Marti and i both saw a lot of good size conch out here ... that's a good sign! i recently learned that Conch are like the sea's vacuum cleaner. without them (and several other fish), the sea would become a algae bed. so they are very important for the health of the reef. it was time to go in, so we started swimming for shore ... and swimming ... seems farther on the way back in ... then i spotted this sunken boat ... kind of eerie. and then ... Marti yells, hey a couple of Spadefish ....another fish i'd never seen before. these guys are quite large, maybe 12-13" and very striking with the black and white. home, shower, and back to the Sundowner for this sunset.