Snorkel Safari

It was a common theme of the trip. Water, being around it and more importantly, in it. Even in Paris when we visited Disney, the kids got so much enjoyment from the pool on the camp site and the water slide.

Our long journeys had been broken up with visits to beautiful spots like Lac D'Orient and Lac Montysard. We had also camped right next to the water in Geneva and St Tropez. In the heat of the South of France and Spain, it was almost essential to be close to water for us to take a cooling dip and also play on dinghy's and kayaks.

It seemed right that we also ventured a little further offshore and had a go at snorkelling. I had never been particularly taken with the sport, however, having only ever tried it in the North Sea, the Channel and the Atlantic off Northern Ireland (where all you can see is gloom and the odd chocolate cigar fish), I figured that it may have better appeal when you could actually SEE some of the wonders of the ocean.

We all headed off to the Port in L'Estartit (us and our friends from UK) and boarded a pleasant little two storey glass bottomed boat for a trip around the Islands just off the coast. The trip was advertised as a couple of hours snorkel safari, trip around the islands, free snorkel to keep, free fruit and sangria (non alcoholic for the kids), and sea trampoline to play on and lark around with.

We pulled up in a sheltered little cove with wonderful clear blue waters, had a quick safety brief and then we were off. In fairness, the trampoline was a bit pants, quite small and really only useful for clambering on for a quick breather. But the rest of the safari was absolutely brilliant.

We jumped and dived off the top of the boat (which felt very high and had grown men quivering) and into the water. Even Jack, who struggled in the water at the start of our holiday, has improved so much with his swimming he didnt need a life jacket, and had the balls of ten men to make the leap off the roof. For the little guy to do that when men refused took some courage.

And the snorkelling was a revelation. Some of the crew threw bread in to attract the fish and there was loads of them, beautiful colours, all shapes and sizes. Some people even hand fed the fish with some of the bread and it was really facinating to watch. I have to admit, it took me a while to get over the 'Jaws' feeling, you know that "something's in the water behind me, bigger and hungrier than I am". But when I got over that, it was great to float and watch, and when my confidence grew, dive down for an even closer look. I will defo go again (in the Med), and recommend it to anyone.

After an hour or so, we all got back on the boat (it was probably about right for untrained snorkellers, its quite tiring), and enjoyed a mini cruise around the islands with free fruit and sangria as promised.

We all enjoyed the trip and had dried off nicely by the time we got back to port. We just had time to pop back to the camp site to shower and change, before we headed to a different part of town for a meal and a knees up.

 

 

 

But thats another story. And some of it may be told next time.

Chris