Under the Water Again!

Some pictures from West End reef and some from French Cay reef...we actually have been lucky enough to see the Green Morays swimming at both areas!It is just that sometimes the flash goes off and sometimes not...This little Lionfish was at around 75 feet...I thought that was a little deep for them...This Green Turtle was just hanging around at about 35 feet or so...until he thought I was getting too close and then he watched me as he swam away ....The chubs and Atlantic Spadefish thought Jeff was going to feed them...they were so pesky swimming around...Paul insists it was the female Chubs hanging around him...but they were fun to swim through as we headed to the wall...I'm thinking this is a Shy Hamlet...uncommon in the Bay Islands...Yellow Fin Grouper hanging around on the top of the reef wall...Wall color....Top of the wall color...Teeny tiny Juvenile Spotted Drum...Scrawled Filefish...Nassau Grouper hiding behind a Common Sea Fan...yes, under the water again...isn't it gorgeous!!

Picking up where we are...Roatan

Yes, it has been two months since we have updated the blog. Whew...a lot of water under the keel. I am choosing to pick up where we are for right now. Perhaps another time...It was a great sail from behind the reef in Guanaja to Isla Roatan,west down the north side of the island. We were in company with s/v Calusa, John and Robin.

Following seas and gusty winds had us anywhere from 6 knots to 10 knots… wing and wing...following seas...very little roll...just surfing down a wave now and again!

Because of Paul’s depth sounder issue (oh, …goes back to the San Blas to Providencia rough passage and water to the top of the floors in the bow and forward head bilge compartments) we asked to follow Calusa in through the gap in the reef to the West End anchorage!

They were great leaders and onto a mooring ball we tied!Next thing we know we were headed into a local bar where Dragonfly (Jeff and Una), Dream Weaver (Paul and Karin), and Rainbow Rider (Gary and Linda) were having Happy Hour…Calusa joined us all and Anne from Living the Dream came by to visit as well (John was off playing volleyball)!

Now this could lead into a much longer story...as we have been buddy boating with Dream Weaver, a 48 foot Kadey Krogen since leaving the San Blas...in Providencia we met up with their buddy boats and friends, Dragonfly and Rainbow Rider. We were taken with open arms into their friendship and what a delight this group has been to travel with! From our snorkeling, diving, traveling, fishing, and eating together we have so enjoyed this "leg" of our journey! I have even now tried conch...of course Linda's fresh conch fritters...well not sure any restaurant could equal! I have also had the opportunity to compare different sushi! Yes, raw fish...I was able to taste test King Mackeral, Wahoo, Blue Fin Tuna, and Yellow Fin Tuna all as fresh caught sushi. Without the coaxing of Jeff and Gary...I would have never tried it...and now I'm so glad I did! Of course the Yellow Fin Tuna won! We hope to continue enjoying their company for another month or so here in Roatan, then as with all cruising, from here, this great group will be headed in different directions...but what a joy and pleasure we have had being included with this group!


Back to the present....Off for a quick dive the next morning…Paul got settled in and enjoyed finding the lobster even though…because it is a marine park…he cannot hunt them! The barracuda was sure interested in taking a circle around Paul though! Who was hunting whom?! And, the Green Moray…thinks he is hiding…but he is safe here…from all but cameras anyway! The picture uploaded sideways...but you get the idea!! The grouper was getting his gills cleaned by cleaning fish... and, this juvenile Threespot Damselfish is wondering where I’ve been…doesn’t he look like he is asking that? Okay, well, maybe not…but, for whatever reason it feels to me like we are “home”! I am not sure why… it could be because I’m flying back to Seattle from here to see my mom, my kids, my family, and to see my son “walk”…graduate from college; it could be because my kids will be here with me for a week in May; it could be because I get to go under the water so easily here; I really don’t know. What I do know is that I enjoy the feeling…and we are here now until mid June!