Some of the dive sites were at places called “bommies,” which were pinnacles of rock in the middle of deeper water. Some of these weren’t so great for snorkeling as far as seeing the surface of the bommie. However, there were masses of schooling fish that I delighted in swimming with, surrounded by zipping colours.

Schooling Fish

Close-up of Red-bellied Fusilier

Red-bellied Fusilier Schooling

I swam for hours in these swarms of fish as they swarmed and then would suddenly dash for deeper water (a few times I saw circling barracudas, but many times I could not tell why the sudden dash for the deep). It was a very strange feeling to be completely surrounded by these teeming fish and then suddenly to be all alone in deep water – where I couldn’t see the bottom and I couldn’t see another living creature. Soon enough, though, the swarms of fish would come back up and begin zipping about again. Each site was a little different as far as which fish would be schooling closer to the surface and how intermingled the schools were. The yellow-finned fish always seemed to be closest to the surface. The striped blue fish always schooled with them, but a little deeper. The Unicorn Fish were generally deeper yet, but at one site they were coming to the top and I ended up swimming alongside them.

Schooling Fish with Diver

Unicorn Fish Schooling

I could have just stayed there, gently swimming in these swarms of fish forever. It was just like a dream! It is hard to describe how peaceful the feeling was and the photos just can’t capture the three dimensional experience of it!

 

Schooling Fish with Diver’s Bubbles