Today I either had an epiphany or blonde moment. I’m not sure the day of the week anymore so that wasn’t it.
This afternoon, after spending the morning in Pilgramuma Canyon writing postcards I returned to my now favorite snorkeling bay. After about 1 ½ hours snorkeling I clambered up the pebbly beach to lay out and allow the late afternoon suns rays to return warmth to my cooled body. As I was warming up I noticed a black pipe sticking into the horizon. Intriguing – I examined it closer. The outhouse vent from my campsite. I’d been drifting down to near my campsite then walking back up the beach to the car. If only I’d known – the best spot is where I am camping. There is still coral, but today I saw two different kinds of sharks swimming around and one lone turtle – in roughly the same place I’d seen three yesterday. Today the turtle swam ever closing circles around me while I held my breath hoping not to scare if off. Finally when almost within touching distance it decided to slowly widen its circle, eventually vanishing into the blue horizon.
Today will have to be my last day on the Ningaloo. My Brazilian neighbors moved on this morning.
Late this morning I walked up past Oyster Stacks and drifted back home. It was a very peaceful trip. Every one in a while I’d meet a white-tipped or black-tipped shark. They’d swim past looking for more edible morsels.
Graziella and Yuee (don’t ask me how to spell) went out a little earlier to see if my turtle was where it had been for the last couple days. They are both dive instructors – one in Perth the other in Hawaii – met in Brazil. Someday they’re going to try to live a little closer. She had never seen a turtle while she was swimming. Today wasn’t the day – but they did see a couple rays so were happy.
For me today was turtle day. While coming down from Oyster Stacks I saw three. For some reason the turtles today were not skittish when I arrived. One even came over and nudged me then waited for me to swim after it. An experience I’ll never forget.
Towards the end of the trip I noticed a large something in the distance. Swimming over I was excited to find a large sponge – perhaps 10 metres across. Just past it was another. I spent several minutes hovering over and around the sponges. The top of the sponge was a well laid out platter. Smaller sponges, bouquets of corals, anemones all beautifully presented. Fish more colourful then the rainbow – even a florescent pink fish – darted here and there. Starfish – green, brown, scarlet, red and of course my favorite iridescent purple starfish which today I decided was finished in royal velvet.
Eventually I decided it was time to go to shore. Once to the beach I pealed off the wetsuit and lay down in the sun. I couldn’t stay there – visions of sponges were dancing before my eyes.
Being quite a prune after my first few hours in the water I still decided to go swimming again – but not wear the wetsuit. The water is a very pleasant temperature. I walked up the beach a couple hundred metres then drifted back. The sponges were gone! I couldn’t find them anywhere. I swam back up current and tried again – still nothing. I was about to give up when I found a small sponge. I checked it out thinking it would have to suffice. Then another sponge. Suddenly I was in the midst of the sponge garden again. It was better then I had remembered.
I drifted over my favorite sponge and gulped. Directly beneath me was a shark.
Will I startle it?
What will it do?
Bite?
It didn’t move!
I drifted back then swam around the side. The shark still didn’t move. I stayed there watching it. It just stayed motionless on the sandy floor under an overhang of a sponge. I’m sure it was almost as big as me.
Wonder what would happen if I swam down and touched it?
The gills were moving ever so slightly.
Before temptation got the better of me I swam away to look at more sponges. It seemed there were more now then earlier in the day.
Goosebumps started catching my attention but if I swam a little harder again the current I warmed up. I was not going to shore yet. Working my way along I finally came to a point where I didn’t see anything of interest further out so turned around and followed the path of the sponge back towards shore.
The white-tipped shark was still there under the overhang.
A sleeping shark.
I drifted over the top of it, then swam back around to look again.
As I continued to shore a turtle caught my attention. It was motionless – its nose tucked in under a coral.
I drifted over it.
It still didn’t move.
Weightless over the top of it again tempted to reach out. It was completely oblivious to my presence. I examined the patterns on its shell – a kaleidoscope of designs glinting in the sun, enhanced by the ripples from the waters surface. I was less then a metre above it.
Periodically, a foot would twitched or a current would make it bob – otherwise no movement.
I wondered how long a turtle could hold its breath – then decided to move on before it needed a breath and was startled by something on the surface above it.
Perhaps I too needed my afternoon siesta.
Eventually I scrambled up the rocky shore shoreline to spread myself out over wetsuit to warm up.
Once the goose bumps smoothed and the chill seemed to be lessened I gathered my gear and went back to camp. It was 4:00.
Turtles
Ever since arriving I’d planned to visit Yardie Canyon at sunset. Since today was to be my last day it was time for the visit.
Grasiella had left a not on my table with a map of where they had seen big fish at Osprey Bay.
The German girls had said there was nothing there.
With the mixed reports I decided to check it out for myself.
The tide well out by the time I arrived. I hurriedly got into the water.
Swimming against the current I noticed a form in the distance – perhaps a small round sponge – then another.
I investigated.
Four turtles were nose down nibbling their vegetables. When they saw me they slowly moved away. One surfaced for a breath. The other three slowly vanished.
I swam on looking for “the largest fish we’ve seen, all in a school.” I never did find the school of fish but there were a number of large fish – then another turtle – no two. Before I was done swimming I’d had ten turtle sightings. The largest turtle was easily the size of my upper torso. Its shell growing algae.
She swam over as if to say hello, then slowly swam ahead of me. I followed for a while. She effortlessly moved through the water, against the current. I fell behind and she waited until I caught up. Eventually she joined up with two other turtles. Again they melted into the blue horizon.
I did eventually arrive at Yardie Creek just as the sun set then turned around and headed home.
It was a slow drive. I was reflecting on the day, on the week. I had arrived here on Saturday one week earlier.
One very enjoyable week. Tomorrow I must move on . . . or not. I’ll see what morning brings.
