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| San Miguel Beach |
Like a ten year old at Disney World, my senses are overwhelmed. I have always loved the sea from a distance and when I get up close and personal in Cozumel it is actually better than I imagined. The best part of creation for me. This afternoon I walked with my snorkeling gear about a mile south down the coastal road of San Miguel to a small stretch of very sharp and rugged volcanic rock formation jutting into the sea to make an inhospitable beach. I hid my sunglasses, cap, and sandals under some rocks and donned my mask and fins and carefully eased between two outcroppings, and then became weightless I immediately entered something like a liquid secret garden. Lettuce and finger coral covered the rock formations that dropped about 15 feet. Sponges and soft corals grew everywhere and there were good specimens of brain and plate coral--very unexpected. A school of blue tang swirled around me and continued on. The rock and coral formations are peppered with cenote springs where you can see mottled water when fresh meets salt and makes a playground for the fish and I see lots of species you would find on a deeper reef--blue chromis, procupine puffer, spotted drum, queen angels, french angels, and then in a shallow cave I spot an ominous sign--a lion fish. They are invasive, from the Pacific, and are voracious predators of small reef fish. They have already decimated reefs in Florida and done lots of damage to fish populations on reefs in the Cayman Islands. I hope they can be controlled. I stayed in the water until dusk, making it dark by the time I got back to my room--but I believe I am very safe and blessed here in Mexico. What an adventure! Thanks for letting me share this day with you.
