Been There
Well-known Member
- Location
- Florida
About 3 weeks ago, I was in one of those moods where I was fed up with the daily routine. Being in the military for 30 years, the days there are not routine. Regimented maybe, but not routine. I sat and had my coffee thinking of how I could change the routine. I came up with “I need a vacation.” I called my travel agent and spoke to Sara and told her I need a round trip flight and 4 nights in a hotel in Jamaica. She started asking me questions like, where in Jamaica do you want to go, what hotel do you want to stay in, what activities do you want to do, etc. I told her to plan it as if she was going. I had never been there.
I ended up in Ocho Rios. I had a beautiful hotel, good restaurant, not great, but very good and the most important things, it was clean and comfortable. I decided to go snorkeling with a group, so I signed up the night before and paid my money. The next morning, we left at 10:30, (in Jamaica, no one gets started too early), and we in the boat for only about 25-30 minutes before stopping, which was not far, but far enough. I hooked up my snorkel, put on my flippers and put on my goggles and in the water I went. I made sure to float a flag in the area where I was. I think we were all floating flags. There were only 4 others that morning.
I was really into it. The water was tepid, the air temperature was 83 degrees, the water temp was around 75 degrees, which was very refreshing as the day went on and it kept getting hotter outside. I saw many colorful fish, some really small, some bigger. We saw many different species. The guide would hold up signs under water as to what we would see. I did see my first octopus and my first 4 sea turtles. BTW, we were asked to stay within 50 yards of the boat.
I am kind of a daredevil, so I swam on the other side of the boat about 75 yards from the boat, but not very deep, so I could use my snorkel to breath. The water down there is very clear. I saw what looked like a big fish swimming towards me. I kept watching it as it came closer and then I recognized it as a Tiger Shark. I decided that I should start swimming back towards the boat. I kept looking over my shoulder and the darn thing was gaining on me. I was about 50 yards from the boat when 2 dolphins showed up and then they kept circling around me.
The dolphins kept circling me the whole way back to the boat, but the shark was also also trailing, but wouldn’t get too close to the dolphins. Once I was back in the boat, I leaned overboard and put my hand into the water and was splashing the water when the 1 dolphin came right up to the side of the boat and let me touch him or her. I am sure that the dolphins were supposed to be there for my protection.
I ended up in Ocho Rios. I had a beautiful hotel, good restaurant, not great, but very good and the most important things, it was clean and comfortable. I decided to go snorkeling with a group, so I signed up the night before and paid my money. The next morning, we left at 10:30, (in Jamaica, no one gets started too early), and we in the boat for only about 25-30 minutes before stopping, which was not far, but far enough. I hooked up my snorkel, put on my flippers and put on my goggles and in the water I went. I made sure to float a flag in the area where I was. I think we were all floating flags. There were only 4 others that morning.
I was really into it. The water was tepid, the air temperature was 83 degrees, the water temp was around 75 degrees, which was very refreshing as the day went on and it kept getting hotter outside. I saw many colorful fish, some really small, some bigger. We saw many different species. The guide would hold up signs under water as to what we would see. I did see my first octopus and my first 4 sea turtles. BTW, we were asked to stay within 50 yards of the boat.
I am kind of a daredevil, so I swam on the other side of the boat about 75 yards from the boat, but not very deep, so I could use my snorkel to breath. The water down there is very clear. I saw what looked like a big fish swimming towards me. I kept watching it as it came closer and then I recognized it as a Tiger Shark. I decided that I should start swimming back towards the boat. I kept looking over my shoulder and the darn thing was gaining on me. I was about 50 yards from the boat when 2 dolphins showed up and then they kept circling around me.
The dolphins kept circling me the whole way back to the boat, but the shark was also also trailing, but wouldn’t get too close to the dolphins. Once I was back in the boat, I leaned overboard and put my hand into the water and was splashing the water when the 1 dolphin came right up to the side of the boat and let me touch him or her. I am sure that the dolphins were supposed to be there for my protection.
Last edited:
