Snorkel Safari

We went snorkelling in Labadee, Haiti and having snorkelled in Key Largo and Tobago, it was interesting to compare the experience. I was very impressed with the set up and the staff was great. Conrad, our tour guide, was excellent and all his staff were really professional and good fun. And this snorkel boat had some of the best music that I've heard in long time and great Presidente beer which is made in the Dominican Republic. You can also buy a CD of their best underwater shots or rent an underwater 6mp digital camera for your own pics. The ones that I am posting come from Conrad's CD. The quirky coral below is known as Featherduster coral.The day that we snorkelled, the water was a bit murky however the reef was full of interesting coral (including the notorious fire coral which I know well from Tobago) and anemones like the one above.Above is a close up of Brain Coral and it does like eeriely brain-like. An underwater seascape is as complex as any garden. Amazingly, however, all the "flowers" and "trees" can be hundreds of years old. Visiting a coral reef is amazing just to see the variety of colours and textures. The colour palette is so different underwater. It is not unusual to find bright yellows, deep indigos and swirling patterns.
The freedom underwater can be intoxicating.

Weightlessness and silence except for the sound of your breathing is deeply relaxing. It's one of the reasons that I am actually wary of diving.
The few times that I have gone diving- I am always lulled into a sense of false complacency which I know can be dangerous. So I think it's snorkelling for me from now on.

I would have loved to have this experience but we did not see any turtles.

This colour green is definitely an underwater colour because even with all the shades of green in my garden, none come close to this particualr shade.A seahorse. I have seen them down the islands but only at a distance. Seaurchins are a delicacy in many islands as the inside of this rather formidable exterior is delicious but they can be the ruination of your holiday if you stand on one. Another seen it, done it, got the Tshirt experience from Tobago. Not a pleasant memory.

Snorkelling in Haiti was excellent and if you ever make it to Labadee, it's well worth the adventure.