Hugh taking photo of small Southern stingray and yellow tail snappers

I love sunrises and always have. As we sit in the water, Lighthouse Island in sight to one side, a sister dive vessel to the other, and nothing else around, it would be a perfect morning were there fewer clouds. The one thing that cannot be controlled is weather and like any outdoor-centric activity, divers learn to adopt a philosophical attitude about Mother Nature. As with Mother Ocean, she will have her way.  We are allegedly on the front end of a “system” and may be able to dodge it by going around to another part of the island.

Anyway, I promised to talk about food. Yesterday’s menu will give you an idea. A continental breakfast is set out at 5:30 for we early risers. Oatmeal and cooked-to-order eggs, sausage or bacon, and/or other “breakfast” foods are available at 7:00. There was a lovely plump coffee cake made for the mid-morning snack that is served after the first dive. Lunch was build-your-own sub with turkey, tuna salad, lettuce, etc., fruit, leftover cake (to include chocolate cake from the previous dinner), soup, and potato chips. The afternoon snack was pizza. Dinner was lentil soup, salad, a choice of grilled snapper with a lovely cilantro sauce or pork with caramelized onions, potatoes, and sautéed green beans. Dessert was banana cream pie with a caramel sauce layer. Thereare also a jar of Oreo-type cookies (Chocolate and vanilla) and a jar of dry roasted peanuts that sit out 24/7 for those who need an extra “munch” at all hours.

Today (weather permitting) will be the famous Blue Hole of Belize. I will not actually make the deep dive into it, but the shallow dive (or snorkel) around the edges as the others descend the 130 feet allowed in recreational diving. I can dive that deep, but I prefer not to. As for diving, yesterday’s sightings included French, Gray, Queen, and Rock Beauty angelfish (some of my favorites), yellow-headed jaw fish (also favorites), trumpetfish, fairy basselets, chromis, rays, a seahorse, a small turtle, jacks, chubs, yellowtail snappers, tigertail sea cucumbers, corals, sponges, sea fans, and others too numerous to mention. We shall see what today brings.