The first time we made an attempt to view the for-reef was plagued by a rainstorm. With the strong winds churning up sand and clouds obstructing the sunlight the "viz" was somewhat disappointing. It being my first time seeing a coral reef, I was still utterly enchanted by what I saw but the assurance from Chris that it could get a lot better, made me eager to go again. The second time we were allotted time to snorkel we had a nasty little low pressure system appear just as we were leaving the dock. Although dismayed about the suboptimal weather, we were determined to stay in good spirits and make the most of the afternoon. Sadly, as we approached the mooring, we received a radio call ordering us in.
After two failed attempts Doug jokingly conjectured that we are cursed and that the next time we get off to go snorkeling we would be told to collect rat traps the next day only to be surprised by Hillary and him standing at the dock with our snorkel stuff ready, in an attempt to fake out the weather. Luckily, it was not necessary to resort to these tactics of deception for the weather looked kindly upon us this morning. We left the dock at 6:30 am just as the sun was beginning to rise. Our boat ride out was accompanied by a flaming eastern sky and pastel colored amalgam of fluffy clouds to the west. Our first destination was Tortagonias with its characteristic stag horn and tabletop corals. The early morning sun sent nearly horizontal spears of light through the water's surface, illuminating the coral on one side while leaving long shadows trailing off the other.
I don't feel quite up to the task of describing what we saw today on the five sights we visited today so I think I'll let Nick's photos continue where I leave off.
