Green Island

 I am still running a few days late. I am now back to work but I am talking about holidays and it is almost as good. We went snorkeling last Thursday. Green Island, no less.  It was perfect weather and the perfect day!  We found a sailing boat that went out to Green Island and moored off the island.  It allowed us to have our own snorkeling space.  Initially Levi was all pissy because he wanted to go diving and not snorkeling but once we saw the dolphin playing in our bow wave he forgot all about it.

We had a couple of hours snorkeling and then we were dropped on Green Island by tender to play on the beach for about an hour.  Levi and I built a castle with a complicated series of dams and moats and we played in the water. 

The tender came to pick us up and as we were driving back to the boat we saw the most beautiful sight.  There was a huge humpback breaching over and over in the distance.  The skipper of the little tender gave us all the option;

"Snorkeling or Whale watching?"

It was unanimous.  We all wanted the whales.  As we got a little closer (Not too much - there are lots of rules about boats and whales), we could see a littler shadow following each breach.  It was a mother humpback, teaching her new calf to breach and jump.  There was a huge jump and splash, quickly followed by little shadow and a smaller splash.  Breathtaking.  I feel so much joy watching that demonstration of motherly love. 

On the way home Levi was just exhausted.  I gave him a towel as a pillow and another as a blanket and he quickly feel fast asleep.  It was a warm space on the deck.  Well for a little while!  The sailing boat's bow dropped into a wave and water poured over the deck.  Standing on the deck, it felt like someone had emptied a swimming pool onto our heads.  It was enough that it soaked the skipper in the back.  The water poured over Levi, soaking the towels.  Levi didn't even wake up.  While we froze on the deck, because we were soaked and in the wind, but after sliding a hand in to check Levi, I realised that it was like a sauna in there.  He was fine!

Parrot fish eating coral