We had a couple of opportunities to snorkel while at Bahia Agua Verde. The water wasn't as clear as we had hoped, having been churned up by waves and swells, but we wanted to try out our Olympus TG-4 "Tough" camera. Sue would have preferred testing the camera's waterproofness and functions in a sink before going full-salt with it, but Curtis is more adventurous and convinced her to just plunge into the sea. Taking decent underwater photos turned out to be far more challenging than we expected. Sunlight and the correct angle were essential for any of the color and detail to stand out. To actually focus on a subject while you and the subject are both moving is not easy. And the fish, of course, are usually swimming away. Jacques Cousteau or National Geographic we are not! But here are some of our efforts:
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| Curtis |
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| Sue |
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| Sea fans |
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| Graybar grunts |
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| Yellow-spotted star, Pharia pyramidata (nice to have a stationary subject). |
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| Bradley's sea star, Mithrodia bradleyi. |
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| Pacific boxfish (we think), Ostracion meleagris, about 4 inches long. |
The underwater time was magical, but of course it's easy to get chilled in 67-degree water, even in a wetsuit. And once back on land, there’s nothing like pulling off a wet one-piece wetsuit to remind you of your anatomy. The sun has gone around the corner, your fingers are stiff and clumsy, and the rock you’re balancing on is volcaniclastic, sharp and barnacly. Your hips seem to have gained extra padding while you were snorkeling. Your knees are two doorknobs obstructing passage. Your ankles are significantly thicker than they were this morning. Halfway through, you’re an untidy heap of neoprene “blubber.” Yanking is unproductive. Slow persuasion, careful positioning, and some trickery are needed. But you have to pee!
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| Sue suiting up again after an unscheduled interruption. |
Toe bone connected to the foot bone
Foot bone connected to the heel bone
Heel bone connected to the ankle bone
Ankle bone connected to the shin bone
Shin bone connected to the knee bone
Knee bone connected to the thigh bone
Thigh bone connected to the hip bone
Hip bone connected to the back bone
Back bone connected to the shoulder bone
Shoulder bone connected to the neck bone
Neck bone connected to the head bone
—from “Dem Bones” (aka “Dry Bones” and “Dem Dry Bones”), a spiritual composed by James Weldon Johnson (1871–1938)
