Under the sea

Friday, March 2, 2012 MARATHON, FL – Our plan for today was to backtrack to Key Largo, the first cluster of the Keys, and take a trip in a glass bottom boat out to see the coral reefs. The Princess II, as our vessel was called, had an interesting neighbour at the dock – it was the African Queen, the very boat that Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn sailed in when they made the 1951 film of the same name! It looked rather the worse for wear, and was missing its famous potbellied stove, which was off being restored. Signs nearby asked for contributions toward further restoration in this, its 100th year. With only about 30 out of a possible 100 passengers on board our boat, we had a good view of the channel out to sea on the top deck, and plenty of space to see the reefs when we went below later on to look through the large glass panels on the bottom of the boat. Once we cleared the channel, which was lined on either side by swanky villas and expensive yachts, the open water was rather choppy. Our guide advised staying topside until we reached the reef, about 30 minutes away, because looking through the glass bottom at things whizzing by could make us feel “uncomfortable”. Actually that feeling came over both Val and me once the boat did come to a crawl, and we looked at the diverse marine life below us. The boat rocked quite a bit, so it was hard to stay focused on any one thing. Still, it was lovely to see lacy sea fans, and long, delicate fronds of sea ferns swaying back and forth in the currents. The coral’s myriad holes and crannies provided lots of hiding places for tiny fish when the big ones came by. Schools of bright yellow fish darted past, and solitary sergeant fish, with stripes like a sergeant’s rank badge, swam in and out of the shadows. The guide pointed out a couple of large, mottled barracuda with pointed snouts, and a grouper gliding near the bottom. She described the fire fern, a dark sea plant with white edges that can burn a diver’s skin at the merest touch. She also pointed out ancient railroad ties that had been jettisoned in a storm before they made it to shore for the Florida railway. Now they were left in place, because they had become an integral part of the reef. Soon it was time to head back to shore, and we were both glad to be topside with fresh air blowing on our faces. It was good to have a chance to see the continental United States’ only coral reef, and to marvel at the sea life just below the water’s surface. Seeing it in calmer conditions would have made it even better. As we headed back toward Marathon, we stopped at a place that was full of colourful lawn ornaments, flags, wind chimes and wind socks. We love the wind socks for our back yard, but they fade in time and they’re sometimes hard to find. So we stocked up, and at the same time had a great conversation with Diane, the owner, about California, where we hope to go next year. We stopped for a late lunch at Wahoo’s Bar and Grill, and our booth overlooked a dock where several pelicans were hanging out, hoping for tidbits from the fishing boats. We watched their antics as we munched on snapper and lobster, and relished a restful evening by the seashore.