The boat ride took 40 minutes to get out to the reef from Key Largo, Florida. Our first stop was Grecian Rocks. I sat on the edge of the boat, slid my fins on, and fell into the water. Immediately I could see less than 20 feet below me were rows of coral. I swam out a few feet and saw fishes swimming through the crevices in the coral and rocks. They were just going about their daily lives, whatever the life of a fish may be.

This place was paradise for parrot fish, I love these fish; they are many different varieties of rainbow colors. Their vibrant colors remind me of yes, a parrot. Their scales glimmered shades of blue, green, and yellow. The ones I saw were about a foot long, some were a little smaller. They swam along the tops of the coral nibbling any food they found with their little beaks. These fish, unlike some of the others, swam independently.

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I swam around the reef and spotted a few blue tangs. I pointed them out to my husband and we watched as their fins shone bright blue in the sunlight. They were beautiful, their colors so vibrant, you don't often see colors like that on land, but somehow under the water, it's the norm.

I left those few tangs as they nibbled at the coral and swam around the rocks. Huge brain coral spotted the reef. They were a soft vibrant yellow. Then rows and rows of fan coral stood atop the rocks, swaying back and forth in the waves like dancers. Allen was ahead of me and saw a lobster. I came and there it was crawling along the rocks. It was brown with light stripes along its tale and spots on its side. It moved its little legs across the floor and scanned for food to eat.

We swam back around along the rows of coral and saw a school of blue tang. There were at least 30 of them nibbling at the coral; all their fins reflected in the sunlight. I had never seen so much vibrant blue. The colors on fish seem more vibrant than on land they shimmer and their scales glow in the sunlight.

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I watched as they nibbled away. Other fish swam in and out between the coral, their home. It was a whole active community under the water. I realized it was one I knew almost nothing about. I wish it were easy to stay under the water for hours or live there like the fish, but I can't breathe under the water as they can. So, I watched them for the short moments I could, still understanding nothing. What were the fishes eating? Little bits of plankton and other things I guessed. Where did they each live? Did some fish have their dedicated house in the same spot of coral or did they move around? Do they have families and social lives like we do? I think they do the way they swam together or chased each other. I think there was far more to it than mindless activity, I think the fish knew each other.

I found myself a stranger observing their world, watching it but having no way of truly being a part of it and understanding it as they did. I may not have understood it, but I watched it all as their colors glowed and they swam around in their little paradise with ease.

The boat called for us to return too soon, I could have stayed out there for hours. I climbed aboard the boat, I was the last one, and we took off to our next stop, Christ of the Abyss. This spot seemed a little deeper we swam from the boat to where this statue was submerged under the water. I passed rows of coral. Little yellow fish swam below me. I pointed out each one I found to Allen and his parents who swam with me.

It wasn't long before we could see the statue in front of us standing with his arms stretched upwards to the beams of sunlight breaking through the water. He was covered in little coral, some of it fire coral that stings if you touch it.

As we approached we were surrounded by groups of sergeant major fish. They swim closer to the surface. I could almost touch them but the little guys always keep just the right amount of distance. I watched the groups of fish swim around us and other snorkelers and the many colorful fish swimming around the coral below and it looks like even Jesus found a way to live amongst the fishes. I, however, would enjoy it for the next half hour and hopefully see this and many more reefs again soon.

To be continued...