The next day we dropped anchor in Tobago Cays, it was a day of firsts for me. I had my first experience of snorkeling with huge turtles AND stingrays! Just imagine for a moment how scared shitless I was when I saw a huge stingray rising from the depths directly under me!
I did not know whether I should attempt to swim away or just be still! The fear that froze me in that moment was the deciding factor, I simply couldn’t move! the big beautiful creature brushed against me and glided along my legs and I realized that I was being investigated. Its touch felt velvety smooth against my bare skin almost as though I was being caressed, I wasn’t going to die after all!
We explored one of the uninhabited islands and found a rather friendly iguana I immediately christened Iggy. I also found a turtle and what looked like wreckage from a plane crash. I wanted to look for sea glass and fossilized coral and I found both but they were embedded in the rock and I couldn’t move them.
My other first was my inability to get back into the dinghy when it was time to head back. I made several attempts – maybe about five? I was totally unaware of my audience who were apparently rooting for me..so when my sixth attempt finally landed me like a beached whale halfway in the dinghy with my legs sticking out, a cheer went up from the onlookers! I looked around and there were tourists waving and cheering from a nearby motor boat! Eddie was laughing his head off! I was mortified, but I smiled and waved. I was just happy to be in the damn dinghy at last!
