12 Apr, Sat

MORE SNORKELING AT SANDY BAY
CUSHION SEA STARS !


i was going to get up early and go snorkeling ... but i have trouble getting out of bed in the morning .... :(      ... so i practiced lounging in the hammock again, while John and i tried to figure out who was scamming who in the movie last night .... we were not successful  :(

we took a taxi back to West End ... i repacked and returned to SunDancers to snorkel again.    .... Katie's friends, (Amy, Martin and their daughter, August) from NY had arrived ... yeahhhh, more Americans ... lately, i've been way out-numbered by Canadians  :)...   they are getting direct flights from Toronto to Roatan for $350-400  !!!!!!!!!!!   ... not fair, ... no wonder there are so many Canadians here !

after i visited for a few minutes, i headed for the water ...
i saw these right under the dock ...

Ghost FeatherDusters ?

i enjoyed my snorkel ...  :)

Sea Anemone

Spotted TrunkFish

Blue Tang and Rainbow ParrotFish

Rainbow ParrotFish

HogFish

Blue Tangs

Spotted TrunkFish

Sand Diver

Magnificent FeatherDuster

Caribbean Reef Squid

i snorkeled all the way out to the outer reef, and then came back across the coral when i saw this grouping of coral n the distance , ....

Coral Ledge

and then just a blue backdrop....

i've been out to the 'wall' before and looked down and out into oblivion ...
but this was different ... it was 'spooky' ... that's how i can describe it .... i couldn't see bottom ... and it was not a 'wall' of coral, but rather an overhanging cliff, ... and i could tell there was cave-like structure under it ....

Coral Ledge

not sure why it kind of freaked me out ... but it did ... i felt like it was going to suck me into it ...   i hung close to the coral, and it continued around for a long ways.

Coral Ledge

i want to go back again, .... i'll be more prepared, mentally, and explore it further ...

Spooky  :)

i snorkeled back to the Dock just as John was getting in the water .... i went back out again with him  .... of course ....  :)

Nassau Grouper

StopLight ParrotFish - munching on algae

we came across a huge sandy area, and an entire 'colony' of Cushion Sea Stars, ..... of course, we didn't know this at first.
....we saw one....

Cushion Sea Star

then a couple together, then another 2-3 ...

Cushion Sea Stars

a Baby Cushion Sea Star

then i started counting as we snorkeled around this huge sandy area .... i was up to 23 when i quit counting .... we continued to snorkel and at one point i counted 9 more Cushion Sea Stars that i could see at the same time ... and the visibility wasn't even that good ....

Cushion Sea Star with Spotted TrunkFish

Awesome !

Cushion Sea Star

then i started to video as i was snorkeling along .... i counted over 20 again !!!!!!
i can't get the video to upload ....   later ... :(

this was totally AWESOME for me !!!!!!  .... i love these Cushion Sea Stars and am so happy to see so many, obviously they are healthy and love it here  .... YEAHHHHHHHH !

we had drifted quite a ways during our excitement of seeing all those Sea Stars, so we started swimming back, against the current ....

back at the cottage i fixed cantaloupe and salami for snacks, then John and i left and returned to West End .... we ate at The Lily Pond ... my third time there this visit ... food, company, conversation, and ambiance were great .... it was a good Saturday ...