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Guam 2020: Post 11 - Swimmin' in the Water

Nothing like a Sunday morning relaxing at home.  We were going to pop out of bed and go snorkeling early this morning.  But it was pouring rain from first light until later in the morning.  It was a good morning to relax.  We talked to Araya back in her dorm room where it was still Saturday afternoon.  She was headed out for a game night.  We couldn't get William to respond.  Was he sleeping all day or did his phone break?



I looked up the tide chart and we decided to go snorkeling a couple hours before low tide, which was at 3:00 PM.  Someone said online that there is less sediment in the water then.  We went to Piti Marine Preserve.  So far is is our favorite close place.  Some say there are over 200 species of fish there.  We saw some species of fish we had never seen before.  Protecting an area from boating and fishing really does help an area.  It also seems that the fish really like the fresh squid that they are fed by a commercial operation in the same area that lets tourists walk out on a raised walkway to an observation tower out in the water.  They also have a place where people can put on a pressurised suit with oxygen inside the mask so that people can climb down a ladders and look around.  Snorkeling and dive lessons are always going on there.



When we arrive, we grab our gear out of the trunk and swim on out to the tower out in the water, and then swim to the left.  There is some deep water near the end where in the past I got quite nervous.  This time it didn't bother me at all and I swam right out.  We stopped on a platform out there and de-fogged our masks, looked around then kept on swimming toward the coral.



As soon as we were close, the Sergent major fish noticed we were approaching and came out to greet us, the whole school of them, right up by my face, liked they wanted a closer look at a human they hadn't seen before.  Actually, I think that they wanted some snacks, but we didn't bring any. They look huge here, but that is because they came right in front of my face and camera.  They are actually 4 or 5 inches long.

Sergeant Major
After they moved on, we moved in closer to the coral.  Then a Black-Tipped Shark swam deep, under us and to the left.  I think that was the first time I had seen one so close. (Don't worry. He was not paying any attention to us.)  I had my underwater camera that Rob had purchased for us, experimenting to see if I could take better underwater fish photos than our older camera.  This one was recommended by another engineer here at the station, and Rob found it used, online, in good condition.

Black Tip Shark
I still have some things to work out with the camera.  One issue is my vision when snorkeling.  I wear contact lenses when I'm underwater and glasses otherwise.  My new prescription has one contact for distance and the other for close up.  I need to wear them more often to get my left eye trained to concentrate on looking at close things, like the camera.  My two eyes were fighting yesterday about their jobs.  Sometimes I could see what was on the the camera, and sometimes I struggled.  Once we were back at the house, I figured out my perfect focal length for close work.  I have the camera clipped to my swimsuit with a carabiner so I don't loose it in the water.  The strap was too short for me to hold the camera at my perfect focal point.  So with that adjusted, the next time I go out I will be able to see more clearly and know if the photo is focused or not.  Even so, some of the photos turned out quite good.  We have concluded that this is definitely a better underwater camera than the one we used before.  For those of you who are curious, it is an Olympus Tough.

What is this one?
Some of the fish were old familiar favorites, and others were new to us.  I haven't figured out yet what the black and white one with the red neck is.  Any other ideas?

Pacific Double-Saddle Butterflyfish

Here are a few of the best the camera managed this trip, with the water moving and me moving and my eye not perfectly focused, I am actually quite pleased they are as good as they are.  I'm hoping we can go again soon.  I'll try again, and maybe over time I can pull off better underwater photography.

Bullethead Parrotfish
What is this one???



Ornate Butterflyfish
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