Cruising out into the Pacific, the day was perfect for a boat float. The water was so clear and still it could have been pool water with a slight breeze blowing ripples across it. This type of water is best traversed slowly in the small boat marina’s Pontoon boat, nicknamed “Shaggy” or maybe it’s “Scooby;” I can never remember which one is which as one of these boats resides at Kwajalein’s marina. As we motored along to our “boat float” and picnic destination right next to Sixth Island, we gently maneuvered past various size dark spots in the water revealing all manner and size of coral heads where you could almost see all the way to the bottom (anywhere between 10-30 feet below). Usually boat floats on Roi entail a large group of friends and several boats, but today, it’s just the four of us, a family boat float, you might say. Before leaving, we made sure to pack plenty of food for our picnic including grapes and apples, sandwiches, and of course some junk food like chips, combos, candy, and chocolate for dessert.
Upon arriving, we headed into the water to swim and snorkel and see what we could discover underneath us in the shallow light blue green waters. Almost immediately, my oldest and my boyfriend spotted some cleaner wrasse fish and a 5 foot black tip shark. The youngest is still a little shy about the deep water and the possibility of seeing a shark, even though we have stressed to him that they are just like any other animal, more afraid of you than you are of them and not likely to even come near you unless you threaten them in some way. But, he was still nervous, so by the time I finally got him in the water with only a mask (due to the uncomfortable nature of the snorkel in his mouth which he decided not to wear), and a few comments about how cold the water is (typical for an island born boy as it’s between 75-80 degrees or so in the waters here), we took off.
In just the few minutes we snorkeled, we spotted a group of Bullethead Parrotfish, and plenty of Moorish Idols, which always make me think of Bumblebees because they are solidly striped in yellow and black. It’s also not hard to find various types of Butterflyfish in this area that is known for its snorkeling appeal. Adventures in the water are usually followed by “monsters in your opa” (Hawaiian for stomach), so we got back on the boat to quiet those monsters with our cooler full of delicious picnic food.
Although, before we could eat, we had to fulfill our mission for the day, to take jumping pictures for my friend, colleague, and my oldest son’s third grade teacher, who has recently started a jumping pics blog entiteld “Jumping Pics Will Save the World.” This was one of the highlights of the day as we plunged off the end of the boat with the magnificent view of the ocean and 6th island in front or in some cases, behind us. Some jumpers decided to jump backwards so they could look into the camera. If anyone’s stomach was not rumbling after snorkeling, it certainly was after snorkeling and jumping, so it was time to feast. Full bellies lead to nap attacks, so we lounged on the spacious deck of the boat before heading back to the marina. It was an absolutely beautiful day on the sea, and an absolutely perfect way to end an otherwise hectic week at work and school.
On the way home in our luxurious “golf cart” rented for the day from automotive services, we stopped to get rid of our “fish food,” which consists of old bread that’s been in the fridge too long, but is perfect for making into gluten balls and throwing to the fish near one of the local beach shacks called the “Gabby Shack.” At first, no one was biting except for my oldest who must not have eaten enough on the boat as he gnawed on buttermilk bread and commented on how good it was. Yuck! Then, suddenly, a hungry Picassofish practically jumped out of the water to grab some bread. He couldn’t seem to get enough until the Surgeon fish came along to check out the commotion. Lots of tiny fish stuck in the tide pools since the tide went out were happy to munch on the treats, and we even spotted several young moray eels and brittle starfish peeking out from underneath rocks and crevices in the tide pools. Right before running out of fish food, we saw two white tip sharks cruising just along the edge of the reef. It truly is amazing what you can see simply walking on the beach or reef at low tide on the atoll. Where else in the world could you be within reach of these fascinating fish and sea creatures without visiting an aquarium? It was a satisfying end to our afternoon in the wiles of Roi-Namur.
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