Ayla’s Voyage Blog

Publish Date: Monday, January 5, 2009
Location: Staniel Cay, Exuma, Bahamas

“Ok, come on.” I finished putting on my last flipper, and looked down at the water. 8:00 wasn’t my favorite time to be snorkeling. I took a deep breath and savored my last minutes of warmth before plunging into the water.

“It’s this way,” my dad called, leading the way to the limestone cave commonly known as Thunderball Grotto. Wanting to get out of the open and into the cave ASAP, I kicked swiftly to the tiny opening. 

Here we go! I thought. As early as it was, I was excited to go for our second snorkel, and first cave snorkel. With one last look at the open, I put my head down to avoid hitting it on the sharp lime stone, and kicked my way through an underwater tunnel, to where Thunderball grotto opened up. There were a fair amount of fish inside, and underwater could have been a mermaids home.

“Ayla, check out the top.” I pulled my head up and stared up at the ceiling where craggy holes shot columns of light through to the water. 

“Woah!” It was the most amazing feeling, sitting inside a cave, and making myself part of the fish. I found a place where a smooth rock with no life jutted out, and swam over to take a seat on it. Here, I could observe the fish, while breathing, and staying still so they swam right up to me. For thirty minutes, we were part of the underwater beauty. I was sad to leave it, but something tells me we’ll be back…