my last day on Roatan, .... my last day of my 2014 Adventure, ... my last day of warm sunshine, ... my last day of beautiful views of turquoise water, .... my last day of snorkeling, ...yes, i am sad about leaving :(
MORNING: FRENCH CAY
note: sometimes it's 'caye', sometimes it's 'cay', sometimes it's 'key' ... it has to do with the language of the people doing the 'naming' :)
Christi had previously told me about 'French Cay' and i asked if it would be possible for me to go snorkeling there ... this was my 'treat/perk' for volunteering. she picked me up at 7:30 and took me there ...
it's a small community on the east/south side of the island ... it is not a legally 'protected' area, although they have applied for that designation... however, this little community has decided to 'protect' it themselves .... it's a beautiful little lagoon with crystal clear waters, that reminded me of Glovers Reef in Belize ...
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| Lagoon at French Cay |
the business is called Roatan Ocean Adventures, and they offer guided snorkel tours for the Cruise Ship people ... today, i was invited to accompany them on their tour with a family with 3 small children.... i know what you are probably thinking ... me and 3 small children :) ... and i have to admit i was a little concerned, especially after yesterday's dive :( .... but only the 2 little girls (4-6?) snorkeled, and they did very well ... their father was with them and very vigilant ...
they have the most and largest lobsters of anywhere I snorkeled .... our guide, Herbert showed us lots of lobsters, of which he was very proud, as he should be ....
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| Spiny Reef Lobster |
but i was more interested in the fishes :)
Herbert not only patrols this area from a boat, but he also 'patrols' it underwater snorkeling ... so he knows exactly where everyone (fishes) lives and can quickly take you there, .... like the location of 'special' hard to find fishes, like this Bridled BurrFish ... i've never seen one of these before ... so, now i've seen the BalloonFish, the Web BurrFish, and the Bridled BurrFish ... they all look very similar, but are all different ... and i love them all ... HUGE eyes, cute little smiley mouth, spines, and all have the ability to 'inflate' themselves ... the PorcupineFish is also a member of this 'family' but is longer and larger ...
the Bridled BurrFish ...
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| Bridled BurrFish |
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| Bridled BurrFish |
here are photos of the other 2 BurrFishes for comparison ..
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| Web BurrFish |
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| BalloonFish |
here are some of the other fishes i saw ...
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| Graysby ? ... usually they have black spots, not white ? |
you have seen so many photos of these fishes, i don't need to tell you what they are :)
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| Spotted TrunkFish |
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| Spotted TrunkFish |
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| SpotFin ButterFly Fish |
i've not seen this fish before, but love it's coloring .... i'm guessing it's a Juvenile Wrasse of some sort ... maybe YellowHead Wrasse? ....
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| Juvenile - YellowHead Wrasse ? |
a new Sea Cucumber for me ... a Furry Sea Cucumber ... i like seeing new things :)
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| Furry Sea Cucumber |
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| LongSpined SquirrelFish |
this SharpNose PufferFish is all colorful in blues for the mating season ...
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| SharpNose PufferFish |
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| SharpNose PufferFish |
although Herbert pointed out this Lobster ... i was more interested in the tiny Juvenile DrumFish that was sharing this space ....
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| Lobster and Juvenile Drum Fish |
we did a quick tour on the outside of the reef ...also very clear waters ....
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| Outside the Reef at the Wall |
I am very impressed with the 'story' about this area and the fact that some of the residents have taken it upon themselves to patrol and protect the beautiful reef and it's inhabitants. They have seen the decline in numbers of lobsters and fish, and are doing what they can to prevent it from happening here ..... it is a heroic effort and much appreciated ..
it's a very nice little business they have and i was very appreciative of the opportunity to be able to enjoy the morning with them ...
after snorkeling, they took me to the 'shopping center' where i was able to catch a taxi home ... i asked the taxi to stop along the way at the Blue Harbor Tropical Arboretum ... in addition to the tropical fruit orchards and flower gardens, it is the Caribbean's only commercial hydroponic lettuce and herb farm, .....it sounded like a great tour, but it would have taken a couple hours; .... and i really just wanted to do another snorkel on my last day :) ... priorities ... it would be a nice thing to do on one of those rainy days .... next time ...
continued .....
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