Snorkelling Trip

Saturday, September 10, 2005

Jeff and his sister Jen (as well as a number of the group we travelled on safari with) decided to join a guided snorkelling trip offered by a local company.

They rented masks and flippers and headed out this afternoon on a dhow equipped with an outboard motor, although they used the sail most of the time.

They sailed out to a likely spot and then swam in clear shallow water (maybe ten or twenty feet deep) among brightly coloured tropical fish and coral. The guides offered the snorkellers some sort of bread to offer the fishes and some came and ate out of their hands, although Jeff said the fish disdained to come and eat his bread.

There was quite a strong current, however, so that although it was gentle enough that you could swim against it, one did have to swim constantly or the current would move you too far from the boat (or into the boat...Jeff mentioned he bumped into the boat a few times.)

Alas, it seemed that nobody brought an underwater camera so the only picture of the trip we have is that of the boat coming in at the end of the day.

The boat came right back to the beach in front of our hotel, but the heavy surf made the boat bounce up and down so much it was hard for people to climb out. Jeff was one of the lucky guys who got to climb into the water to try and hold the boat steady so the others could disembark. He was soaked.