Key West 2 Snorkelling Trip
The Florida Keys are made up of the main exposed parts of coral reefs. Some of the islands have been exposed for so long that sand has built up around them, creating barrier islands while other smaller islands remain as coral atolls. Our afternoon snorkelling trip began right next to our ship's docking wharf. The sun was still quite hot and the air humid as we boarded our large catamaran along with 30 other snorkelers. The sea was ever so smooth as we sailed towards a large coral reef in the Florida Straits. It is called, the Florida Reef and it is purported to be the third largest in the world. The skies were a clear, bright blue, the water a beautiful deep aquamarine with bright orange rays of sunlight dancing across the ripples of the waves and there was an air of expectation from many passengers, some who had never snorkelled before. There were no other passengers from the ship on this trip but we struck up some good conversations with several fellow yachties. There was a couple from Miami who had driven for 4 hours just to snorkel the reef before repeating the 4 hour return drive back at 8.30 pm when our trip ended. It's amazing what you can do when you are young! Another Afro-American couple had never snorkelled but they were having a weekend away from their 6 children and they were determined to enjoy every minute of it. We sailed past out ship and it became smaller as we headed out to the reef. Some of the group enjoyed rigging the mainsail up as we sped to the reef snorkelling area. We were impressed with the safety talk and procedures that the crew explained to passengers and the fact that everyone had to wear a brightly coloured buoyancy jacket whilst in the water. These did not need to be inflated unless the swimmers wanted them to add more buoyancy but the colours made it easy for the crew to keep an eye on everyone. The crew also provided foam noodles to assist anyone who wanted an extra safety device or just needed a rest. Out on the reef the wind picked up and the waves were a little challenging but we really enjoyed the cool refreshing saltiness and the coral reef and fish below.
Having been to Australia's magnificent reefs, the Florida Reef was smaller, less colourful with fewer fish varieties BUT we still enjoyed the experience and hearing the "oohs and aahs" from fellow snorkelers. It took a bit of energy to swim over the waves but once under the water there were coral corridors and rock formations to explore and we have some good memories of this special treat.
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After several snorkelling sessions we enjoyed drinks and snacks and shared our experiences back on board. The sun was beginning to set as we settled down for our sail back to Key West. The sky was flooded in brilliant hues of orange, pink, mauve and yellows and it was glorious to behold. We were all mesmerised as the sun began to set and as clouds lifted above the horizon forming puffy patterns across the pink sky. We saw the silhouettes of distant atolls and a lone yacht sailing across the horizon – a magic moment. I-phones were capturing every second of the end-of-day light show and we felt privileged to have witnessed the close of this day from the deck of a yacht in the sea near Cuba – so far from home and SO, SO beautiful. Part of God's special technicolour in his creation which never ceases to amaze.
It was about 8pm as we neared the ship which was departing at 8.30pm but the champagne was still flowing and no one wanted the sailing trip to end, so the crew decided to extend the trip past the wharf point and around the tip of Key West's coral cay. With this change of plans we were able to see part of the area we'd walked near the marina area earlier in the day. It looked totally different at night with coloured lights, music wafting from restaurants, outdoor entertainment areas full of activity and the flash of various lights from passing traffic on the island or the intermittent light house signals along the shoreline. We were a little concerned that we'd miss the ship if the 'party' got any merrier but true to their word the crew got us back with 10 minutes to spare. What a wonderfully, full and memorable day we had had in Key West. Praise God for safety and for the friendships made and appreciation of the creativity and ingenuity and variety of His of his creation.