Horseshoe Reef

HORSESHOE REEF

The reef is outside of the anchoring area. We hopped in the dinghy and Gene drove us out to one of the mooring buoy's designated for dinghies.

Phia Oceana jumping in the oceana. (It looks like she's standing on the bottom of the oceana, but she's not. She's just caught in the midst of an enthusiastic leap in!)

This is a sergeant major reef fish. They are a very common and grow to only be about 5-inches long.

Fish and soft, flexible corky sea fingers.  As you can see it was murky due to wind and waves.

The dynamic duo.

Gene's finger and Phia with a conch that she gently put back. 

I gave up trying to take pictures almost immediately. The current was too strong for me. I was afraid I'd bash into fire coral or something--anything! So the new word for a person who's a chicken is "poultry." (You had to be here to appreciate that inside joke.)

This is a yellowtail damselfish.  It's hard to see, but they have metallic blue spots. Adults grow to be 7-inches long and their spots tend to be smaller and fewer. 

I was in L.A. the morning Deb went into labor. I didn't get to see Sophia Oceana be born as I had a flight back to Washington. But it was still a memorable morning (to say the least!).