One morning, my friends Jane and Mark called me to get ideas for a family snorkeling vacation. Mark had never put on a mask, but Jane had been snorkeling many times. Snorkeling with her brother and parents in the Greek Isles remains one of Jane's fondest memories, and she was eager to share a similar experience with her own family. I suggested the Virgin Islands, where abundant marine life thrives in warm tropical waters. After our phone conversation, they took their children - Jessie, 8, and Peter, 6 - to a local dive shop and outfitted them with gear.
"Peter learned to use his mask and snorkel in the tub before we tried the ocean, and it really helped," Jane says. On their trip, they had an amazing time together: "The four of us held hands, making a big circle with our heads in the middle, and floated over a huge school of tiny florescent fish. And it was really safe for the children. The only danger was not wanting to get out of the water."
Floating on the surface of a calm, clear, sea and watching fish dance between shimmering shafts of sunlight is a pleasure an entire family can enjoy together. Even those family members who cannot swim can snorkel with the help of a life preserver. By the time children are old enough to attend school, most are able to master snorkeling techniques. They key is to get out there! Get into the water with your family and friends, and enjoy all that rivers, lakes and oceans have to offer. Lifetime memories are created when we dare to go and discover...
- Post by Joel Simon, Founder & Owner of Sea for Yourself Snorkeling Safaris. Check out his site at www.seaforyourself.com.
In the Disney classic tale Finding Nemo, we are introduced a breed of fish that plays several roles in the vast ocean. Their beauty has the power to take our breaths away, and at the same time, they have the power save an important ocean c0-dweller from destruction and transform in ways unknown to man.
The following are several details on the clown fish that may surprise you:
- There are 28 species including the Skunk, Barrier Reef, Twoband, Mauritian, Tomato, Whitesnout, Madagascar, Pink Skunk and Saddleback. - They live in small groups: within these groups are only one reproductive male & female. The rest of the fish in the group are non-reproductive. - The beautiful fish lays eggs on flat surfaces and usually spawn during a full moon. - When they are born, all clown fish are males. (So how do they mate?...you may be asking...) Some change their sex in order to mate. And...if a female dies during a mating session, another male will be promoted to female and will then change its sex. (what!? Yes, it's true!) - Clown fish range in size from 4 to 7 inches as adults. - They are omnivores, feeding off of algae, plankton, mollusks, and crustacean. - Sea anemones are protected by clown fish because they feed on parasites that are harmful to anemones. - Clown fish are one of two species that can survive the poison of sea anemones. A mucous membrane coats their bodies for protection. - They prefer the warmer waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans. - Find clown fish at these favorite dive & snorkel destinations: Great Barrier Reef, Red Sea, Fiji, Malaysia, Thailand, Maldives and Indonesia.
On your next snorkel or dive trip with clown fish...or in an aquarium...or Nemo on the big screen, be amazed! These lil' critters are truly heroes in their own right.
Want to win a free snorkel set? Be the first to tell us where Nemo's father finally rescued him, and you will be the winner of a Body Glove Professional Dive Set!
Go to the following link and fill out the simple form (please enter your answer into the phone number field of the form): http://www.destinationwater.com/landing_page.asp - Posted by Jen of CWIC
So by now you may have heeded our advice and gotten yourself a snorkel, mask and set of fins and are about to embark on your first snorkeling experience. But wait now, do you know what you are going to look for while you're in the ocean?
This begins a series that I will be writing on various oceans and what you can find within them. Let's start with the Pacific Ocean...
Naturally, if you are in Tahiti, the crystal clear water speaks for itself. In such places, the fish are brighter than any highlighter you have ever seen, and the coral is quite literally swarming with so much wildlife it looks more like kids around an ice cream truck. Really, being in waters that tropical is dreamlike. But unfortunately for West Coasters, few have the means to scoot off to Tahiti to do some snorkeling. What many of them don't know is that the Southern California Coast offers plenty of snorkeling adventures.
Using Laguna Beach as an example -- one can find the bright orange Garibaldi fish (the official fish of California), eels, octopus, calico bass, tree fish, bat stars and purple sea urchins. The hot snorkeling spot in Laguna by far is Shaw's Cover. You can find all of the above there.
La Jolla Cove near San Diego also offers amazing snorkeling adventures. It provides snorkelers the ability to navigate through beautiful kelp forests and hang with rays, more Garibaldi and sometimes seals and harmless varieties of sharks.
Up and down the coast, but much harder to spot than many other varieties of fish is the black sea bass. Once in a while snorkelers and divers come across them and are blown away by their mass...sometimes weighing in at more than 150 pounds. Their massiveness may inspire you to swim away as fast as possible, but there is nothing to be afraid of, they are as harmless as any creature can be. These giants are considered endangered species, so please don't get any wild ideas that involve spear fishing or trying to take one home as a pet.
Now some will scoff at the next thing that I am going to mention, but try to use your imagination. Not far from Laguna at a place called Pirate Bay, Disneyland has a pirate named Captain Jack. I've seen him and admired his boldness...and sometimes envision myself as Captain Anthony aboard the Black Swirl...on my way to Catalina to unearth the biggest booty ever discovered. Wow, I just let that one get away from me just a little :-)
Anyway, whether or not you find treasure or any of the creatures I mentioned, enjoy yourself in the water. It's hard not to. What feels better than being weightless as you sway with the gentle currents and peer down at the last frontier on our beautiful planet -is knowing that you are a guest in what is truly a miracle, our beautiful ocean...
Anthony- Intern, Blogger, Spanish Speaker, and Action Figure
In a land far away, an activity dubbed snorkeling was popular. It was "all the rage" and all the "cool kids" were doing it. That land was earth and snorkeling was the hit activity in beach towns and beach resorts. Kids and adults alike populated the reefs with one goal, actually more like a DREAM: to view the ocean in a way never before seen, as a fish! But before they could embark on their endeavors, they had to obtain one vital component. The one piece allow them to truly enjoy the ocean.
The one and the only.....snorkel keeper!
Wow. Really Anthony, did you just write a whole hook driven by the Lord of the Rings theme to explain a snorkel keeper. Yes.. oh boy...
All kidding aside, a snorkel keeper is really no bigger than a silver dollar but without it snorkeling can be difficult. Some don't even know what one is -- they may have heard the term -- but just to be clear, a snorkel keeper is a connector piece that holds the mask and the snorkel together. IT allows you to move freely without worrying that your snorkel will submerge and having the piece of mind knowing that the snorkel won't grow fins and decide to swim away; it can't, it's attached to your face!!
Most keepers come attached to the snorkel with a clip -- you then attache it to your mask strap. Once attached correctly they are quite secure, are user friendly and can be easily to be swapped with other masks.
So when you think snorkeling, don't just think snorkel and mask, make sure you have that keeper. Because without it, you just won't enjoy the ocean as effortlessly as you should. It's your little plastic key to ocean fun! Sorry, at CWIC we get a little excited about this stuff. Really, you should see us. I typed this whole blog with full snorkeling regalia on. I have to go, my mask is foggy and I need to find a body of water. Hasta Luego!
Anthony- Intern, Blogger, Spanish Speaker, and Action Figure
We shipped out from the Long Beach harbor at 7am on Monday -- I, along with 40 Jr. Lifeguards and their instructors, pointed our noses toward Catalina on the "Great Escape" dive boat. From the moment I walked on board, I was taken in as one of their very own and enjoyed getting to know as many of them as possible.
HBLifeguard instructors Kathy and Rory were amazing people - we spoke of the importance of the program that was developed in 1963 for youth 9-17 years of age. "It provides so much," explained Kathy. "Kids need purpose, community and an outlet for their excess energy. I can't tell you how the program has bettered the lives of so many." Kathy, now a mother of four children, has been a part of the program since she was a teenager. Each summer she shares her love of the ocean and water safety. "I can't think of a better way to spend my summers," said Kathy with a smile on her face.
Rory is most impressed with how the youth progress over the 8 week program. "I see boys and girls come in out of shape, unenthusiastic about life and just plan blah," he explained. "And then as the weeks go by, their eyes are wide and they get into great shape. They really come alive...this is the best summer job in the world."
And for anyone who has doubts about the upcoming generation -- I'd like to quell your fears. The group was well-mannered, well versed and passionate about life. I spoke with many of them about their futures, their hopes for their careers and their love of being out in the ocean.
After about 2 1/2 hours on the open sea, Catalina came into view. We anchored about one football field off of the shore and the kids were more than ready to jump into the ocean. Kathy introduced me as part of CWIC and brought out masks and snorkels that our Founder and President Cindi Walters donated for the 2009 season. Kathy and I shared information on using a snorkel, clearing purge valves, attaching snorkel keepers and more. The kids then lined up to receive their own mask/snorkel combo...and they were off!
I jumped in with them and we roamed through huge kelp beds, discovered bright orange Garibaldi fish (California's official state fish) and other smaller varieties. A couple of the kids took it upon themselves to be my guide -- their kindness and willingness to take me in as one of their own was awesome! In the afternoon, we held fun filled competitions that inspired the kids to laugh, cheer and band together.
(Pic above: Kathy Sharing info on masks & snorkels)
After a long day in the water, we headed back to the mainland. The sun was shining and we were all in a content daze -- enjoying the salty breeze and the water lapping up against the sides of the boat as we cruised. I was so very thankful all the way home that I had the opportunity to experience a day in the life of the Huntington Beach Junior Lifeguard program. And I'd like to inspire parents around the world to consider getting your kids involved in a local Jr. Guard program! Seeing the Jr. Lifeguards in action drove home a major point: we as human beings need to reconnect with nature -- find community with others -- and get our bodies moving! True purpose & ultimate peace will follow...
Thank you HB Jr. Lifeguards for your kindness!!! And thank you to my sister Ann Engevik for taking beautiful photos of the event!
What comes to mind when you think of Ireland? Lets both think, rain, greenery everywhere and small cars. However what the rest of the world doesn't think of is Ireland's wonderful summer beaches!
As we all know, Ireland isn't a place for much sunshine -- many days see dark clouds, lots of rain and people hiding behind four walls by a fireplace. This is true much of the year but if you're able head over to Ireland in their summer time! If you are as lucky as I have been for the last 30 days on the Ireland coast -- you may find yourself loving its expansive, white sand beaches. Imagine walking to the beach and if you live any where near a beach you probably see people there all the time, but -- well in Ireland you find stretches of beach that no one has enjoyed in months. I can't tell you the honor this Southern California boy felt to enjoy the sun on untracked sand.
Portmarnock Strand, where I spent most of my time, was one of the most beautiful beaches I had been to in awhile! Okay yes the water was cold, come on its Ireland, but one of the most interesting things about this beach was that you could walk over hundred yards out in the water and still have the water be waist level, this was very strange concept for me...and an amazing adventure. the second most interesting thing was the way my feet felt on the beach, by this I mean that it felt like I was walking in a home with a hard wood floor that had been flooded...very strange but unique! To fully understand...you need to take a trip to Dublin and check it out...
-Cameron Walters - Intern, Hopeless Romantic, Die hard Swimmer
to use his mask and snorkel in the tub before we tried the ocean, and it really helped," Jane says. On their trip, they had an amazing time together: "The four of us held hands, making a big circle with our heads in the middle, and floated over a huge school of tiny florescent fish. And it was really safe for the children. The only danger was not wanting to get out of the water."
ryourself.com.
