Don't be afraid of tourists. Don't be afraid to BE a tourist. Yes, they look silly, and they say silly things. But when you are among them and something fun is happening, go along with it. (Very few people leave comments on this blog, so I don't know who I am talking to; the advantage is I can ramble a little, self-evaluating it as interesting or not, by my own boredom meter.)

Back to the subject - today Adrienne and I found ourselves at the stingray site with a couple of fastboatloads of tourists from the resort up yonder (imagine what they pay per night at these places!) all ready to experience real live stingrays coming up to you and even rubbing up against you, even coming out of the water at head level! Even nibbling your hand, omigod!!

We are all standing chest-deep in crystal-clear seawater on a sandy ocean floor inside the reef (here it's calm) and the water is a beautiful transparent green. The water is warm/cool, perfect temp. The rays are swimming everywhere, a foot or so above the bottom. Everything is visible. Tourist legs, swimsuits, stingrays, maybe an anchor, more legs, male and female old and young, Catholic and Jewish. legs. You wear your mask and snorkel, so if you wish, you can peer under the water - watching where you step, because it's not good to step on the sting, halfway up the tail. The resort people must have been told to wear shoes, good idea; but otherwise, mate, you shuffle.

Their backs are a bit rough but their undersides are sensuously smooth (I am referring to the rays, not the Jews). Everybody has little digital cameras they were told were waterproof, or else they forgot if they could wet them or not. Gorgeous young brown Tahitian men with shoulder tattoos wander among the crowd giving advice and raybait while the rays simply give love. Dog-lovers recognize it immediately: they are friendly, affectionate and have good manners too (dogs please learn). The guides have fishheads and such morsels in their hands to tempt the rays, who swim sinuously round the humans, pushing up against Adrienne's boobs like unweaned puppies. Everybody is agog. You would be too. You can't dismiss this as a stunt put on for tourists, it's real, and it's not over yet. The blacktip sharks swim close by...

Yes the blacktip sharks, quite small, 3 or 4 feet (1 - 1.5 M) some of them with their friend the Remora stuck on by a suction cup, swim back and forth beyond the tourist line (and now I am one too, a tourist, of course) never coming too close, never coming directly at you. They are very pretty, with their yellow bodies and black tips to their dorsal fins and tails. Nature does it better. Every time.

We had to travel 3 or more miles (6 Km) in very shallow water, by slow inflatable dinghy, following the posts, almost striking coral heads as we went, to this place; big tourist boats swept by us at high speed, leaving us bouncing in their wake. Then back again (refueling first) crossing the bay in winds that whipped up little waves which crashed into and over our tiny boat. We were soaked. Little 3.3 HP engine kept on going. But back on board, with a swag of photos, and fresh memories, drying off, and having lunch, we were happy. Our friends Isabel, partner Jamie and mum Leona, went along with us in their dinghy. I put Isabel and her rayfriend's pic up here, I'm sure you will enjoy it.