| Marble's celebration page of the wonder down under the surface |
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| Under the Waves |
| What does it look like over there, |
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| On this page I would like to pay tribute to the pleasure derived from three sports; snorkeling, my passion, snuba, a relatively new sport gaining in popularity, and scuba, which I hope to become adept at and get certified in when I return to Florida. For those of you who are not aware, Snuba is a new crossover experience between snorkeling and scuba diving where a long air hose is linked from the "diver" to a boat on the surface, to make it possible to go deeper and stay down longer than is possible with snorkeling alone. It is designed for those who may have hesitancy about learning to dive, or are not ready to take the step into diving but love the sea and the sights to be seen Under the Waves. Take note that all photos taken under water level are from my collection of cd's and the internet, as I have never, but soon plan to, own an underwater camera. To the best of my knowledge all photos herein are or were in the public domain. |
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| I have had the joy of hanging on & snorkeling from some of the nicest beaches anywhere, from Mexico to California, Florida to the Caribbean. I regret I never made it a priority to buy an underwater camera to capture the beauty I have seen. I hope this page helps to spread some joy to those who have not yet found the serenity & sublime wonders of the submarine life. |
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| Getting there: For obvious reasons, snorkeling good spots directly from a beach is getting harder and harder. Popular resort areas have so much traffic, so much of it persons unaware of the damage done to reefs by touching them, that much of the coral and the life it sustains, are gone. For snorkeling directly from a beach you'll need to find smaller, lesser known, lower traffic areas to visit. There are many of these left in the Caribbean, Mexico, & throughout the world. Look at small towns you've never heard of, with bed and breakfasts or small guest houses, and annual visitation under 20,000 for places whose reef and fish populations should be less or undamaged. |
| Equipment: It's all in the mask-it's crucial. Without a good-fitting mask that lets in NO water, your snorkeling adventure will turn into a frustrating and annoying nightmare. Spend your money on the mask; most any cheap plastic tube from Walmart or a sport shop will work for breathing IMO. Ditto the flippers, though you want a decent fit on those to avoid blisters. |
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| Where to stay: If being in the water is what you're going for, you'll be in your room MAYBE an hour a day, discounting sleep. So remember all that matters is being close to the water, or in a boat ON the water, and a comfortable bed to relax those muscles you'll be using so much more than usual all day. If a crab can hang out in a shell its whole life, who CARES where you'll stay for a couple weeks while you're snorkeling, you'll be spending more time in your gear. |
| What You'll See From A to Z: |
| Concerns: |
| Do know before you go. Study your chosen area, learn its aquatic history and recent developments. Check refereces on dive guides. Shark attacks are on the increase worldwide as waters are getting overfished- sharks are becoming more aggressive and heading closer to shore into shallower waters. Though your chances of a shark attack are astronomically slim (there are but a few hundred annually in a world with a human population of billions), still, it is not impossible so be wise. |
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| ANEMONES |
| Anemones are the wondrous colorful invertebrates that live in shallow tidepools or down to sea bottoms as deep as 7 miles. They are found in both warm and cold waters and attach to rocks, abandoned shells and even shipwrecks and pier timbers. Anemone is a Greek word meaning wind-flower. They look like flowers and as the waves "blow" them about the origin of their name becomes clear. Sized from inches to several feet tall they are a vast species with hundreds of types. The anemone, like coral, has been a source of confusion for many as to whether it was really a plant or an animal. While the anemone looks like a flower, it also does things like an animal, such as eat other animals and move about. What appears to be "petals" are really tentacles, which surround a large slit-like mouth. The tentacles sting small fish and shell fish and the prey is stunned and brought to the mouth to be eaten. |
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| BUTTERFLYFISH (SPOTFIN) (LONGSNOUT) |
| These are found in the warm waters throughout the world and range from a couple inches to over a foot in length, with many varieties and color combinations. The banded butterflyfish is sometimes mistaken for an Angelfish. |
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| CORAL! AND MORE CORAL!! |
| Coral comes in an amazing variety of colors and hues, and can be found in any size ranging from a small colony in the sand measuring only inches in diameter, to massive mountainous colonies sustaining thousands of marine inhabitants. There are hundreds of species of coral and their shapes can be truly reminiscent of some alien life form. Locating exotic corals, for me, is the high point of any snorkeling trip. |
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| DISCUS John White |
| EMBER PARROTFISH Joseph Dougherty |
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| FRENCH GRUNT Dr. Antonio Ferreiria |
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| GROUPER-HAWAIIAN-"SCHLEGEL'S" Grows to 16"-What a beauty! |
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| HAWKFISH "Flame Hawk" These PERCH like a bird, waiting for prey! |
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| INDIGO HAMLET |
| JAWFISH - LOOK FOR IT HIDING IN ROCKS IN THE CARIBBEAN |
| LIONFISH |
| KELPFISH - MAKES A LIVING THROUGH DECEPTION |
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| MORAY EEL-California |
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| NUDIBRANCH-no you are not looking at a slug on acid, this is scientifically, a FISH! |
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| PACIFIC SEAHORSE California |
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| QUEEN TRIGGERFISH |
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| RED SQUIRRELFISH DOESN'T LOOK LIKE A SQUIRREL TO ME... |
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| the SERGEANT MAJOR- one of the most common fish in tropical waters |
| TRUMPETFISH-more like a snake |
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| UNICORNFISH (has a point above the snout) |
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| YELLOW RAY- Urobatis Jamaicansis |
| ZEBRAFISH |
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| FINAL SUGGESTIONS- |
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| Snorkeling and Snuba are wonderful adventures to share as a family, down to the youngest skilled swimmer in the brood, but, for me, snorkeling can be a great experience to share with a lover (or husband). The serenity and relaxation, combined with its sensuous nature, can be very stimulating. |
| Find a school-the bigger the better. For an experience you will truly remember the rest of your life, find yourself in the center of a school of fish, (not barracudas or piranhas) and reach out to touch them as they swirl around you like a cloud. Wonderful! |
| Above all DO NO HARM! Do not touch the coral! Too many people do not understand a moment of carelessness can have drastic consequences. If enough people touch or move even a huge colony, it can die . . . and all the life it supports. |
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| WRASSE |