August 15, 2010 Snorkeling Fun

     Well, it was just another beautiful day in the crystal clear Pacific waters around Roi-Namur. Today we took some new divers out to 6th island, a favorite spot for snorkeling and boat floats for residents due to its sheltered location and shallow waters dotted with small coral heads. I stayed up top this time with my friend’s youngest child, who is not yet old enough to dive, and we had a great time snorkeling the water and checking out the fish for a good hour. Right off the bat, we saw a 3-4 foot white tip reef shark patrolling one of the larger coral heads, and later on ran into a school of parrot fish. This is another of those things that is hard to beat anywhere else in the world, without needing the skills and expense of dive classes and gear, a snorkeler can see and enjoy so much in these waters, better than any of those walk through glass aquariums, mainly because we see the fish in their natural habitat, although I do still enjoy a good aquarium. :) I can’t wait for my own 2 boys to get back home, so I can take them to the very same spot for an afternoon snorkel adventure.
     When the divers in our group returned, my boyfriend brought up a Pin Cushion Sea Star from the bottom to show everyone. The Pin Cushion Sea Star is from the seastar family, and it looks like a round hard coral, but when touched, it’s has a softer, slimier texture than expected. It’s in the shape of a small pillow or pin cushion (hence its name), and on the bottom, you can see the 5 points of a starfish as if they were drawn on the “pillow” in dark, thin lines. Some of them come more in the shape of traditional 5 pointed starfish, but the ones I’ve seen most out here are fully rounded. They are a thick-bodied version of the usual harder shelled star fish most people are familiar with. I like to think of them as “husky starfish.” The healthy coral reefs out here give these guys plenty to eat, so they are just plumped up versions of our skinnier friends in less nutrient rich ocean environments. It may just be a different species than the ones I’ve been able to find during my internet research, but it’s more fun to think of them as “husky.”
     Overall, it was a wonderful day for snorkeling. The waters were calm, the sky was blue and filled with those cotton ball clouds I love to see, and it was spent in good company, both human and the animals of the sea. I look forward to the adventures that tomorrow holds. Until then, Bar Loe Eok (That’s Marshallese for see you later)!