USVI-On-Line

Well I know I'm a bad boy as I didn't post a TR upon return from our last trip. Been MIA for a little while so I thought I'd tell a little snorkel story.
The beach is Maho and I'm lookin forward to a great snorkel. Head out and what do I get billions of silversides. Can't see squat threw them, must have been having a silverside convention at Maho and I didn't get the memo. So after going all the way to the point, they never clear I head back dejected. Half way back out of nowere BAM!! Tarpon in my face. Think I just fed the silversides a little chit. Well I hang around cause I know they are feeding in the vicinity. Sure enough they show and to my dismay my battries are dead. Enjoy the show for awhile and head back in. Couple hours pass and I head back out with some fresh bateries and hopes of getting some big game fish on camera. What the hay the silverside convention must have left for the day, oh well at least I get to see some of the other charecters out there. Well low and behold the silversides moved the convention out around the bend headin to Little Maho and the tarpon were making a guest appearance. I don't know how long I was out there but it was a looooong time. It was so cool watching those three to five foot Tarpon eat at the all you can eat smorgasboard. Had to be one of my top five snorkeling adventures.

You LOOKIN at me!

You better run!

Roundem up

Coming in for the buffet

A big one!

This guy was not as excited by the action as me.
.
Saw these big boys on the way back.

Cool..sounds like all of your hard work paid off. I bet it is one of your all time snorkelling experiences!!

That was so much fun! I felt like I was in the water with them. Thanks.

Very cool! I had a similar experience at Maho back in October. Snorkeled along the left hand side and it must have been breakfast time. Saw all the same things - and lots of them. Also one of my best snorkels ever on St. John - highly recommended!

Great pics! I tend to get a little nervous when I am in the middle of those little fish..to the point where you can't see a foot in front of you, lol! You just know something BIG is coming! Are those two stingray together? I have never seen two so close! Nice!

Cap,

Glad you came out of hibernation Dude!... I had a similar experience a few years back out towards Mary Pt... Flipping around by myself (Jackass had feet problems so I was on my own)...I was coming back from the point and decided to go wide off shore... saw a BIG-ASS RAY (Volkswagan sized) on the bottom stirring up some groceries... stopped to watch and all of a sudden I was part of the food chain...in the middle of a "HERD" not to be confused with a school of tarpon...They came up so fast I almost had to do some laundry myself ...Holy Crap they are fast, not to mention big and beautiful!....By the time I got back to shore and starting telling "the Big Fish Story" Jack was ready to put me in time out....you had to be there to believe it...I grew up on the coast and around the water and have seen some pretty cool things from mother nature , but that memory will be around forever...the next day we were out "dingying around" and caught them again at the point... they were literally making the water boil... way cool...

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Thanks for the story and posting the pics. I always love snorkel stories and pictures. I have to agree with Earlyriser, I get a tad nervous when I am in the midst of those huge schools of little fish. We call them "rivers" of fish since we've seen long bunches of them, moving like a river flowing. It is so cool to hover and see them up close, but I always wonder what I'm not seeing. When we were in Peter Island last year and snorkeling off Deadman's Beach, we kept seeing lots of huge tarpon. Beautiful, but they give me a "yikes" moment when they show up.

That yellow spot in the water last June? Yep, that was made by me when the silversides moved and I too saw (well maybe thought) I was about to be part of the tarpon's food chain. They're not scary if you see them coming but I do not like to be surprised by anything that weighs over 1/2 a pound!

early riser there were actually three of them but he wouldn't cooperate and get in the shot.

I've had the tarpon in the face more than a few times ya never can prepare for it. I remember the first time I saw a shark other than a nurse, was looking down and then looked foward and BAM there he was. Heart definetly skipped a beat or two. He took off I composed myself and then went on the hunt for him to no avail. It's that suddeness that gets ya kinda like watching a scary movie and the boogie monster jumps out of nowere at ya.

Boats I love ya gurl, ya crack me up

BOATSRUS,

Where were you when you took that pic? The rocks look like the side of a deer head!