I learned to snorkel in the Sea of Cortez the winter I was eight.

My first attempt included becoming terrified of a sting ray, screaming my head off through my snorkel and raking my mother against a huge (sharp) head of coral in my attempt to mount her like a dolphin and get the heck out of dodge.

I don’t think I’ll ever get over the guilt I felt when she cried hard as my Dad poured ammonia over the huge weeping wound to keep it from getting infected.

Today we had the privilege of watching two little friends snorkel for the first time, well, only one of them actually snorkeled, the other paddled around on his board and looked at the fish from the dry side of the surface. It was so much fun to remember what that “first” is like, when the whole under water world opens up for the very first time.

The reef here is mostly dead.

This makes me sad.

We did, however see LOTS of fish and we saw our first really big squid, as long as my arm, and of a different sort than the little ones we’ve seen in the southern Atlantic.

There was also some fishing and leaping off of boats to be had. It was a good day.

Have a look: