Tag Archives: horse conch

Summer 2009: Week 2 Afternoon Session

Hi All,
I had no sooner finished up the first adventure session and readied the boat when I was joined by my second group of eager and excited Adventurers that in turn were ready for the Fun to begin!!! And so was I!!!
AdventureSheri came along to help me with this weeks afternoon Adventure session, and she and I were joined by AdventureJake and Mickey from last Spring and Summer, and four new Adventurers, Kelly, Victoria, Sienna and Adrianna This group was just as full of energy as the last, and great swimmers to too, another fabulous bunch!!! Love it like this! And nice to have AdventureSheri along to give me a hand, oversee the group and take pictures as well.  🙂

Afternoon group photo
Afternoon group photo

For the weeks afternoon session we followed much like the first group. We would visit the same places, just different times or on different days. Same loads of Fun, just a different group of Adventurers! The days adventure for the most part is determined by the tides. At high tide we go snorkeling, island hopping and beach combing and at low tide we go seine netting in the shallows and exploring at the Big Sandbar, etc. All subject to change at a whim of course… whatever the group or I may want to do. Sometimes we are having so much fun doing one thing that its hard to quit and go do another. Just doesn’t get any better than that!!! If there was something special that the first group found, I would take the second group back to take a look and share the same experience. Wanted everybody in the second group to share in the same excitement as the first Thing seem to work well this way…

We would make sure to visit the Rock Garden every day as well. See and share in the same things and try and improve on the first mornings encounters as well. As usual, we had a ball searching and finding all kinds of things. Never seems to be a boring second here. AdventureKelly and Victoria would be searching for one thing, Jake and Mickey looking for crabs and Sienna and Adrianna having fun just being together!!! It was always non stop Fun and we would share everything we found!!! Just Great!!!

We visited Starfish Prairie and later took an island hike around Munyon Island and did some seine netting as well. Took some nice photos of the groups in front of some weathered Australian pine tree stumps as a wonderful back drop. Discovered quite a large number of green legged sea grass hermits as well. Always nice… We would all take turns pulling in the nets and finding new things and revel in the excitement of new discoveries unfolding before our eyes. You never know when something new and as yet undiscovered by us might be found. Just love it like that!

I took them back to the Big Sandbar to check out the horse conch and the fighting conchs, and there it was still hot on the trail after another fighting conch. We watched as those would quickly jump out of the way too. I guess every now and then it finds a fighting conch unawares since we found a few empty shells that I did not notice earlier. I showed them the eyes of the horse conch up close and personal, took a few photos then let him go to continue the hunt.

AdventureVictoria and Kelly with Horse Conch
AdventureVictoria and Kelly with Horse Conch

Our fishing day was just as exciting with the same fast paced action, maybe even faster than the first groups. AdventureVictoria and Kelly were neck and neck till the very end, both catching almost 40 fish each, maybe even more!!! In the last few minutes, Victoria was able to take the lead and run away with the win, as she had back to back fish, one after another right up till the time we ran out of bait! One thing was certain, it was non stop action and I couldn’t keep an exact count of who caught how many, and what type, etc. AdventureJake and Mickey were having fun catching their fare share as was AdventureSienna and Adrianna as well. One thing was certain, We couldn’t keep bait on their hooks or take fish off their lines as quick as they could catch them either,. And Yes, I heard those now infamous words over and over and OVER too!!! “Mike, I Need More Bait!!!!!!!!!” Oh boy…..

We also had the opportunity to spend an hour or two at the beach every day and would find loads of shells and sea glass. We would have the best time snorkeling along the shallows and watching large schools of permit forage for sand fleas at the waters edge. AdventureAdrianna and Sienna would beg me to dig sand fleas for them every time we went and would keep jars of them for fun till it was time to go. Jake and Mickey would find shells, play in the shallows and search the sargassum weed for shrimp. filefish and crabs. It was a bonanza of treasures waiting to be discovered and we had the very best time finding new things. AdventureKelly and Victoria would collect shells and hang together like the very best friends they are. Always smiling and joking around. Just Great!!! We stopped by the dead green sea turtle too and had the same talks about being conscience of your surroundings and always doing your best to pay attention to what may be in your path. It was equally as sad to see the big turtle dead, but I think we all learned a good lesson that we would remember. I took a few photo opportunities. with the big turtle and then it was time for us to call it a day too.

Dead Green Sea Turtle Discovery
Dead Green Sea Turtle Discovery

All in all, it was a wonderful week for all of us!! An Adventure we soon wouldn’t forget, and of course it left me looking forward to this up coming week. A new Adventure to be shared with an exciting new group of Adventurers. Who knows what we may discover, but one things certain, We Are Going To Have Some FUN!!! Stay tuned for the next adventure and see what we find!!! In the next week or so, you can join me on facebook, and together…

Let’s Go Have Some FUN!!!!!
AdventureMike