CORAL JUNGLES OF SEA-COW REEF 



shows tragedies unnumbered, and tells of pursuits 

 and captures, even fish within fish within fish, — 

 the realities of which will come to our note-books 

 only after months of watching. 



One of my last days at Sea-cow Reef was rough 

 and I made no attempt to select a favorable spot, 

 but working the motor boat well to the eastward, 

 I dropped anchor and slid over at a venture. It 

 looked like a rather poor location and I was about 

 to ascend, when I let the tide drift me some way 

 along a narrow path of soft sand. In the distance 

 I caught sight of an enormous wall of coral. I 

 went back, picked up the anchor and shouldering it, 

 towed the boat nearer. When I again went on I 

 found a narrow gorge between two mighty coral 

 masses, and passing through, I came to one of the 

 most diversified and beautiful places I have ever 

 been in under water. 



The narrow gorge opened up into a large circular 

 arena of sand, planted here and there with sea- 

 plumes, while the surrounding, lofty walls were 

 covered with all imaginable shapes and shades of 

 reef life, living tapestries which waved and nodded 

 with every pulsation of the water. Large fish 

 were abundant, a school of two-foot silver snappers 

 appearing from some concealed cavern and milling 

 with curiosity around and around me. Near the 

 sand were purple surgeons and golden-lined hae- 

 mulons, both revealing their passing emotions by 

 the ebb and flow of dark bands across the scales. 

 I sat quietly at the entrance of a side valley and 



157 



