Ocean Photos

 Up and over the walkway from the street to the ocean......

Follow the light........

Ahhhhh - there's the ocean.......

I splurged recently and purchased a small point and shoot camera that will take pictures under water.  This morning I went to the beach and snorkeled (read floated about 5 feet from the edge of the water with mask and snorkel) and used my new camera. I am always afraid of sharks, so I never totally relax, but I still enjoy the beauty anyway.

I took the day off today - and it is a BEAUTIFUL day.  Summer is the best time for the beach even in South Florida.  It is nice and warm - about 85 degrees F.  As my husband says, morning is the best time - he doesn't like to go to the beach in the evening after everyone has been there all day.  I've done both and I agree.  The sand is pristine in the morning, there are few people and the water seems cleaner and clearer.  At around 9:30am there were no waves and the water was crystal clear.   I don't consider going in the middle of the day - the sun is too hot and I'm too old to be getting a suntan.  I have to protect my skin from the harsh Florida sun.

As soon as I put on the mask and snorkel and peeked under water I could see without distortion, and I was surprised to see the little white fish swimming everywhere.  You can't see them from above water because they blend right into the sand.  

I saw 2 types of fish.  One was a longer, narrower white fish, some with a black dot over their eye:

The fish above doesn't show the black spot over the eye - maybe it's just a water distortion thing....

And now for the "Lil Nibblers".  I was floating serenely in the water, when I felt a pinch on my thigh.  Ever mindful of sharks, I freaked out and jumped up to a standing position, ripped off my mask and snorkel - and saw......nothing.  I'm convinced it's the little piranha looking fish below that were nibbling on me.  When I stood absolutely still I could see them swimming close to my legs and occasionally, I'd feel a......nibble.  

These lil nibblers seemed to like the camera and my hair.  They must have thought my hair was seaweed because they would swim quite close to it, and they must have wondered what the camera was.  They were rather fearless.  It's hard to tell the size of both the fish above, but they are both about 2 to 3" long - tiny, actually.  

A few times a whole school of greenish fish would swim by, but it only happened when I was standing and I could not get back into the water fast enough to take their picture.    Tomorrow I'll try again.

Last weekend, I tried the camera for the first time, but in the evening.  I got the following pictures - the water was not calm at all - pretty rough, so I got some frothy water and that's about it

Above you can see the white waves from last week.  They don't look like much, but it was nothing like this morning.  The water was like a swimming pool it was so calm - SO beautiful and relaxing.

Oh - here's me underwater......

One more thing - I found this guy (rest in peace) with just his claws sticking out of the sand.  Of course, I poked at the claws, but he didn't move, so I dug him out.

It was a deceased crab - I wonder what happened, or perhaps it's just the shell and the crab has moved to a larger shell?  I don't know if crabs do that, so here is his pic, anyway.  I brought him home and am trying to dry the thing to preserve it.  We'll see if that works, or if it smells and has to be discarded.  What - strange?  Me?  Yeah - I admit it.  I'm a nerd.