CURRENT LOCATION: Anchored in Ensenada Honda
18 18.318' N, 065 18.008' W
Yesterday's big news revealed the fact that I am going to be teaching Algebra at a local school. After writing that blog, Sheryl and I went out and encountered a totally different gathering of schools.
After lunch, we lowered the kayaks, laden with snorkel gear, into the water and paddled out to Ensenada Dakity. Since it is a holiday weekend there were lots of boats to watch on both the trip out and the trip back. And, even though the mooring field behind the reef at Dakity had a lot of boats, we were able to find a free mooring ball at the far northern end of the reef.
We tied up the kayaks, donned our snorkel gear and went for a swim. It seems that whenever we snorkel near cuts to deeper water, we encounter more schools of fish. Today was no exception. In fact, today we swam through a swarm of tiny fish who moved like a silver river just beneath the surface of the water.
Although the river would separate and let us swim through, they did not flee as a result of our proximity. In fact, they seemed to gather in our vicinity. A fellow boater recently suggested a reason for this behavior. He said that the tiny fish seek the protection of large, non-predatory fish (like us). We scare off those who would seek to make a tasty snack of our little silver friends. And, despite our threatening presence, we actually got to watch the predators in progress.
Meet predator number one (bigger fish):
When chased by these larger fish, the tiny fish flee in any direction possible, including up and out of the water.
Enter predator number two (the birds):
The birds hover over the clear water and anticipate when the river of silver fish will break the surface. It is nature in action, a front row seat for a filming of Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom.
For additional fishy photos, be certain to check the ever-growing collection of pics by using the links at the upper-left corner of the blog. The top 'Photo' link will always show the most recent photo additions.
After a good swim, we climbed back aboard the kayaks and spent a few moments relaxing as we overlooked the waves rolling up to the reef. What a perfect way to end the week.
We certainly hope that yours has ended on a similarly positive note.