snorkeling Archives - Woman on Her Way

Day 7, Friday, September 16, 2016

Last port of call on this voyage, Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas. We arrived midday. Fortunately, we docked with our room on the shady side so mom was able to enjoy the balcony while I went on shore. I had to stand in the hot afternoon sun for about a half hour while the excursion leader collected tickets and brought the group to the dock where we boarded the catamaran. I was glad I had slathered on sunscreen before leaving.

Seahorse Sail and Snorkel

I went on a Seahorse Sail and Snorkel excursion, sitting on the net at the end of the boat. The sail was down on our 35-minute ride to the coral reef, but it was up on the return. Dennis and I had been on this reef before, but it was still beautiful. In addition to the Caribbean fish, I saw a stingray and what I think was a grouper or a garfish. We had one hour to explore the reef and I did not board the catamaran a second early—I was enjoying myself so much. The crew offered us a rum punch on the return trip, but it was like Kool-Aid and I did not like it. The taste didn’t stop the majority of the passengers from consuming multiple glassfuls. Why is it that people over indulge when things are free, even when not good? I guess I am either too old to let my hair down or more discriminating.

After mom cashed in her casino winnings, we packed our bags and sat on the balcony as the Harvest Supermoon rose over the water. Even in Miami the next morning, the large moon was visible.

Disembarkation in the morning was well-organized and we were soon on our bus heading home. Even though the experienced driver knew the way, we didn’t arrive in Sarasota until 3:40 PM.

Cozumel is an island in the Caribbean Sea off the neater coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. This popular cruise ship destination became famous in 1961 when Jacques Cousteau declared Cozumel one of the most beautiful scuba diving areas of the world. Since then, Cozumel has become an underwater marine park to protect the delicate balance of the coral reefs and abundant variety of tropical fish.

Off snorkeling (Left to right, Jane, Doris, and Elizabeth.)

This is where I first snorkeled and looked forward to the experience. I had initially planned to take a local taxi to Playa Carona. As we left the pier, we talked to several tour guide operators and learned that the 2008 hurricane had changed the coast and the flow of fish. Instead of going on our own, we took an excursion with a local dive shop, which turned out fantastic. We visited three sites, had an attentive marine tour guide, saw plenty of fish, coral, and aquatic plants in crystal-clear waters. The snorkeling leader fed the fish, which meant we were surrounded with colorful Sargent Majors, deep blue parrot fish, and other vibrant fish of various sizes. He dove down for a sea cucumber and I held the strange sea worm in my hand. This excursion was by far better than the one we had on Roatan.

Once we landed we went to Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville to buy souvenirs, and then we returned to the cruise ship. Mom had a lucky streak in the casino; she played for more than a half hour on $5.00 before loosing it all.

The entertainment was a comedian named Fred Bevill. His jokes were funny, but the true story of his first date at age nine was hilarious.

Tag: snorkeling

Snorkling in Nassau

Caribbean Cruise: Day 5: Cozumel, Mexico