Take a Closer Look...

Wow, where the water ends, and sky begins is anybodies guess....

Before jumping into the glowing aquamarine colored waters, you have to really sit there for a moment and take it in. In the distance the blue hues seem to blend in with shades of glowing greens and blues. Like a rainbow of colors, and it's like nothing else on earth. I would refer to it often times while there as the ocean of Kryptonite, because truly that is the only thing I could compare this ocean of beauty to. A gem. Rare, special, and exotic.

After taking in the colors, I put on my mask and slowly made my way into the water. It's truly amazing because the water is just as warm as the air...there is no 'getting used to the water' in the Bahama's...the water is possibly warmer than the air, and it feels divine on your skin.

Under my feet I could feel hard lumps that I thought were just rocks. Upon inspection I came to realize that I was standing on a graveyard of broken coral pieces, beautiful seashells, and tons of snail and baby conch shells. I felt bad for a hot minute, till I realized that this shell graveyard was dead.

However just as I was about to scratch this large area of shell and coral scraps off as dead... I realized many of these mini conch shells were moving about. Many of these tropical shells were homes to none other than hermit crabs. Hermit crabs like I had never seen! In NY our hermits are relatively small, and house themselves in black snail shells. Some grow large, but primarily the larger ones are rarer sights.

Here in the tropical waters, hermit crabs looked as tropical as their surroundings. Some were pale white, and looked like they were covered in frost! Others were near fire colored with long slim claws.

I inspected this seashell graveyard for about an hour, and realized that it was not as I first imagined. It was far from dead. With a close eye I was able to see hundreds of different types of crabs scurrying about the shells, tons of hermit crabs in all different types of shells, shapes, and sizes, and when I stood really, really still I was shocked to find that baby tropical fish housed themselves this close to shore. I was no less than a 3 feet out, and all of this was delivered. Truly, and amazing, amazing experience.

The entire time while cruising the shoreline, I was also being followed by odd large angel fish. At first they actually scared me, because as soon as one comes along, you have a whole school of them surrounding you. These fish alone make you feel totally out of your element, and it's spectacular.