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We are family tour - Day 4
We are family tour - Day 4
We decide to head to Waterlemon again today (after, of course checking out Haulover North- still rough!)
Twyla and I get in the water about 1/3 of the way down the Leinster Bay Trail - by the 3 mooring balls. We've had good luck with that snorkel before so we agree to meet the others somewhere down the trail. We snorkel to Leinster Bay and see lots of large parrot fish but not as much sea life as in previous trips - it could have something to do with the boat that just dropped a bunch of snorkelers off in front of us. I'm not sure how those snorkelers would have seen anything - they were going so fast you'd have thought they were being chased by a great white.
We see that the rest of our crew is hiking on past Leinster and going to get in closer to Waterlemon Caye. We cut across the bay to meet them and wonder why they are just standing around and not getting in the water. Turns out there were 3 nurse sharks laying right up by the rocks. There weren't scared to get in, just enjoying watching them bask in the sun.
I've always liked hugging the east shoreline all the way out to the open water before heading over to Waterlemon Caye (can only be done on calm days and it was questionable this day). There are some great coral formations and lots of activity. So, I take off along the shoreline and can't understand what's taking everyone else so long. I slow way down but they're not making up any ground. While I"m pondering what to do (keep going or turn back), I hear my sister let out her "come here quick" whistle. You need to understand that her whistle can be heard 2 states away and she only uses it when she needs your attention NOW. OK, I know this must be good - I'm hoping EAGLE RAY, so I take off knowing that they can disappear fast any time they tire of you tailgatingthem. Anyway, if I must say so myself, I covered a lot of distance in a short amount of time and sure enough, it's an Eagle Ray. This Ray was feeding and was not concerned with us in the least. Jim had a great time videotaping him and he came directly under me to stir up the sand. No matter how many times I see them, I'm always in awe of how effortlessly they can move about. If I believed in reincarnation, I'd want to come back as an Eagleray.
We spend about 20 minutes with the ray and then decide to head to the Caye. As we are swimming around it, we see another Eagle Ray - or maybe it was the same one following us - hard to tell. I'm sure we saw lots of other things but I can't remember what they were - too excited about the Eagleray/s.
PM Snorkel - This afternoon we are going to try something new. We have never spent much time at Hawknest and we've never been over to Gibney. Finally find a parking spot (now I know why we haven't spent much time here before) and head to the right along Hawksnest and across Gibney bay to snorkel along the rocks. Some interesting sea life, saw a large moray eagle just swaying in the current. Gibney is a gorgeous beach and now I'll be able to relate when others write about it on the forum.
Another great day of snorkeling! We work on a puzzle most of the evening and try to play a game of Mexican dominoes.
Seems that everyone plays by different rules, so it is an interesting game - to say the least.
Tomorrow: Let's try something new - Dietliff and Klein
Twyla and I get in the water about 1/3 of the way down the Leinster Bay Trail - by the 3 mooring balls. We've had good luck with that snorkel before so we agree to meet the others somewhere down the trail. We snorkel to Leinster Bay and see lots of large parrot fish but not as much sea life as in previous trips - it could have something to do with the boat that just dropped a bunch of snorkelers off in front of us. I'm not sure how those snorkelers would have seen anything - they were going so fast you'd have thought they were being chased by a great white.
We see that the rest of our crew is hiking on past Leinster and going to get in closer to Waterlemon Caye. We cut across the bay to meet them and wonder why they are just standing around and not getting in the water. Turns out there were 3 nurse sharks laying right up by the rocks. There weren't scared to get in, just enjoying watching them bask in the sun.
I've always liked hugging the east shoreline all the way out to the open water before heading over to Waterlemon Caye (can only be done on calm days and it was questionable this day). There are some great coral formations and lots of activity. So, I take off along the shoreline and can't understand what's taking everyone else so long. I slow way down but they're not making up any ground. While I"m pondering what to do (keep going or turn back), I hear my sister let out her "come here quick" whistle. You need to understand that her whistle can be heard 2 states away and she only uses it when she needs your attention NOW. OK, I know this must be good - I'm hoping EAGLE RAY, so I take off knowing that they can disappear fast any time they tire of you tailgatingthem. Anyway, if I must say so myself, I covered a lot of distance in a short amount of time and sure enough, it's an Eagle Ray. This Ray was feeding and was not concerned with us in the least. Jim had a great time videotaping him and he came directly under me to stir up the sand. No matter how many times I see them, I'm always in awe of how effortlessly they can move about. If I believed in reincarnation, I'd want to come back as an Eagleray.
PM Snorkel - This afternoon we are going to try something new. We have never spent much time at Hawknest and we've never been over to Gibney. Finally find a parking spot (now I know why we haven't spent much time here before) and head to the right along Hawksnest and across Gibney bay to snorkel along the rocks. Some interesting sea life, saw a large moray eagle just swaying in the current. Gibney is a gorgeous beach and now I'll be able to relate when others write about it on the forum.
Another great day of snorkeling! We work on a puzzle most of the evening and try to play a game of Mexican dominoes.
Seems that everyone plays by different rules, so it is an interesting game - to say the least.
Tomorrow: Let's try something new - Dietliff and Klein