Isla de Caño, Costa Rica

Okay, well we´re not technically on Caño Island anymore, but we spent most of the day there today as part of a daylong snorkeling trip. Caño Island is a biological reserve located 20km away from Drake Bay, so we got up at 6am this morning (the sun was already shining brightly at this early hour) to catch a speedboat to the island. There were about 5 other snorkelers, as well as 6 scuba divers on our boat, and the snorkeling was pretty decent. I can´t lie, I kind of regretted not finishing my scuba certification in college–if anyone can cure my fear of deep water and my inability to clear my ears underwater, I´d be all about getting my scuba certification.

In Bali, the snorkeling seemed very touristy in that we snorkeled with baggies of bread and fed the fish to get them to swim around us. It was cool, but kind of like having pet fish in the wild. At Caño Island, the snorkeling was slightly deeper, and the water much more clear and blue, so all of the fish and marine life were in their natural habitats, which was an honor to be able to observe. There were huge tuna, parrot fish, and other various schools of fish, and we were lucky enough to see about a half dozen small sharks lurking in the waters below, as well as several turtles. Being surrounded by all of this marine life reminded me of the Fred Barnett´s Hawaiian Reef Fish Madness video my brother and I used to inhale as kids. It definitely helped solidify some of the early reef fish knowledge that stays with me today.

The water was warm, and the sun shining bright, so we without a doubt are a shade or two darker (and redder) than we were yesterday, but it was a day well spent. We also met a couple of girls (one from California and the other from Vancouver Island), one of whom had a similar mission to my own, which was funny. I truly am meeting a lot of others in the same boat as myself, which is somewhat reassuring.

Tonight, there are 6 Russian tourists inhabiting our B&B with us, so we will luckily get to mooch off the of the fish dinner that will be prepared for them. I suppose I should feel a tiny bit of guilt for craving fish for dinner while snorkeling today…

Alhambra from the Albaycin

The Alhambra, Granada, Spain, Spring 2007