Monday, July 28, 2008

Ray Migration

The other day "Dont'Try This at Home" posted several links to weird stories. This one is about a huge number of rays that were migrating off the Yucatan Peninsula. We used to go to Cozumel frequently because the water is so clear there. I'd have fainted to have seen something like this. There were several times I nearly fainted there without seeing the rays. There are some huge fish in Chankanaab park....and there are parrot fish that try to bite your fingers when some idiot is feeding them from the bank. There are some huge fish there period. There are beautiful fish there, too. Cozumel is an island I love off the Yucatan.

Click to see the ray migration.


Holy Cow! I was just reading the link to Cozumel and Chankanaab Park...and MAN has it been "updated"! When we used to go it was free, there was nothing there but sea and sand and some wonderful coral reefs...and some large caves with huge fish in them. I think I mentioned that. But now...it costs $16 to get in, they have snorkel rental places, all sorts of pricey things. I'd heard it was more costly to go there now, but good grief! I guess we got the best of it a long time ago when we rented a jeep and drove all around the island. I'd just returned from studying in Mexico and thought I was something with the pathetic amount of Spanish I knew. Anyway, it is a miracle we lived through that trip. We stopped to swim in a secluded area and were just about to get in the water when we noticed there were two smallish sharks in the very shallow water. We forged on around to the other side of the island in a hurry. Over there on the Atlantic side there is some big surf. We were tossed around like nothing by the waves and were very lucky indeed to not break our foolish necks. With bathing suits full of sand and nowhere to shower it off we headed on to the Mayan ruins. I engaged a boy to watch our jeep....well it was not the best vehicle in the world, but we had rented it, while we took the tour. The tour guide told us that used to be an area for honeymoon's and I'd be wise to make sure my birth control was in good shape for one never knows when one has been in such a fertile area. Anyway we finally got back to where we had rented the jeep and got home. No hassles...not a lot of money and a lot of fun. I figure not so much nowadays.

2 comments:

  1. Ahhhhhh blessed youth! It's amazing what we can do when we don't know the dangers involved! When we BELIEVE we are invincible!

    You are very lucky to have gotten to enjoy the UNsophisticated joy and beauty of God's nature - before the people ruined it!

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  2. What Melli said -- you had a wonderful and memorable time. IT wouldn't have happened if you had known the dangers. I bet the folks who go to that park now don't enjoy it half as much as you did.

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