Say hello to my little friend

With the change of the season, I am called to switch out my header and in keeping with the frightful, Halloween decor I could think of no better header pic then "my little friend." Yes, this bad boy pic was taken by me over Thanksgiving in 2007. My hubby and I and my youngest son ran way to the Bahamas for a long dive weekend and I was lucky enough to capture this shot. We were at tail tale end of our dive and enjoying a leisurely swim back when I felt the presence of someone near me. I just assumed it was my son who was always all over the place and as I turned to the right, this Caribbean Reef shark was about 3 feet from me. I didn't even set my camera for a shot...I just snapped the pic and hoped for the best when I got on board the dive boat. My little friend followed me for about 200 yards and then decided I wasn't worth his time and he slowly swam off.

When I got on board the dive boat, I couldn't believe my luck that I captured such a great photo of a shark so close to me and with my first time using my underwater housing. You probably want to ask me, was I afraid? It never occurred to me as I was more anxious to see if I got the shot. LOL. My little friend was about 6 feet in length and wide in the middle. Beautiful to watch as he moved quietly through the water until he swam away.

Wanted to share some other shots of the Bahamas. One of the many, conch shell lined docks to tie up your dingy. So charming.

Pink hibiscus plants abound.

Velvet soft, sage green tropical plant.

The view from the imfamous Nippers bar and grill. Colorful tables and benches, crashing waves of the surf, and always great music. Caught the Barefoot Man concert here and it was a blast.


Had to post this shot of my son's first tropical dive. He had just gotten certified in the cold Atlantic with three dark dives. When he hit the tropical waters he was like a kid in a candy store. This first dive was at the location called "the Aquarium" and it lived up to its name. Rich with sea life. Aaron had just entered the water and he was lost in this frenzy of fishies.

The sunsets are amazing in the Bahamas so I thought I would share one with you. There is so much beauty in this world. Below and above the water. Go and share whatever beauty you can find with someone you love. Sea Witch

Star gazing

It was time for a change so I have switched my header out to a photo I took while snorkeling at Green Turtle Key in the Bahamas two years ago. Marvelous little reef area just a few steps from our hotel room.


The water was crystal clear and you could see hundreds of these Bahamian Sea Stars and sea urchins laying on the sand beds. This particular sea star was slowly moving towards the sea urchin to make it a meal. Sea Stars are not really fish, they are an echinoderm (from the Greek, meaning spiney skin) and it is related to the sand dollar. They exist exclusively in the sea and cannot be found in fresh water or on land. Most sea stars, like the Bahamian Sea Star, (also known as the Cushion Star) have five arms and can live up to 35 years, although I have seen them with 6 arms and one with 4 that looked like a cross. They are an aggressive predator under the sea, hunting mollusks and other echinoderms. Sea Stars turn their stomachs inside out to eat, which it wraps completely around its prey, until the prey is digested.

I am always amazed at the size of these creatures and although the photo does not show scale, the sea urchin is the size of a large grapefruit and the sea star was over 12 inches in diameter. I spent all afternoon snorkeling and looking at the hundreds of sea stars, sea urchins and little fish that lived there. This little guy kept popping in and out of this burrow to say hello.

Have a terrific weekend everyone and enjoy each other's company. Sea Witch