Our bathing suits have been bleached by the sun and sea. Our skin is darker, hair lighter. Our fingers and toes have a prune to them that doesn’t seem to go away. Our booties are perpetually wet, and our computer is overloaded with video footage. It’s been an awesome fourteen days.

Emperor Angelfish at Nosy Antsoha

Most days, we’d jump in the water before breakfast just to cool off. We’d check out what was around the boat, and then get out. Later, with our entire group, we’d set off for snorkeling in places with exotic names like Iranja, Momuka, and Tanikely. We’re constantly shaking water out of our ears, and we’ve seen some awesome things.

Hawksbill Sea Turtle at Nosy Tanikely

We’ve seen sea turtles pushing their way deep into a coral groove to get at some growing algae. They’ve swum with us, curious, or away from us, maybe a bit frightened or perhaps just annoyed. We’ve seen several different kinds of barracuda, though only one as big as the ones we see at home. Surgeonfish come in myriads of colors from the brushtail tang to the powderblue surgeonfish and everything in between. We’ve seen amazing triggerfish: Picassos and Titans with their striking colors and mesmerizing markings. Wrasses and Parrotfish are in abundance with their bright colors, making their presence known by the crunch crunching we hear along the coral.

Plinci Star Fish

Butterfly fish abound. We’ve seen Bennett’s (or Eclipse), Red Tailed (my favorite), Chevron, Raccoon, and many more. Angelfish are a rare treat with their graceful ways. The most notable we’ve seen are the Regal, Semi Circle (both juvenile and adult), and Emperor. The Emperor Angelfish will thump at you, like a grouper, if you get too close.

We’ve seen colorful groupers and giant puffers at least two and half feet long. Clusters of urchins with their long spines urge you to be cautious and nudibranchs with their technicolors tell you to slow down, look closer.

Hard corals conceal smaller fish in between their branches and down in their crevices. Corals also provide the platform for anemones waving with the current, protecting the skunk anemone fish and Malagasy anemone fish with it’s blue-white stripes.

Kara Swimming Through a School of Jacks

Schools of Blue Green Chromis, Scissortail Sergeants, and Fusiliers are there to greet you at every reef, intermingling and showing off their pretty colors.

It’s been a magical two weeks exploring the last frontier: the blue frontier. We’re looking forward to another month of diving in this world within our world, the big blue sea.