DWELLERS OF THE SURF 



I07 



and even at times a half dozen or so thimble jellies, pinkish 

 lavender wraiths that floated with no visible movement other 

 than a slight pulsation of their umbrellas. 



When I tired of the still waters of the tub I could change its 

 comforts for the more invigorating waters of the ocean simply 

 by walking ten feet and plunging in. From the edge of my bath 

 the coral rock sloped gently down to a vivid yellow moss- 

 covered shelf overhanging twenty feet of the bluest water in the 

 world. The surf crashed on this ledge and then poured back 

 again exposing the under surface of a fantastically adorned 

 submarine cliff. I had to be careful, however, in coming to 

 shore again, for the waves hit with stunning force. The trick 

 was to catch the exact moment, to slide in on the tip of the 

 advancing comber, then land feet first on the moss-protected 

 shelf and quickly grasp the rock to keep from being swept out 

 again. It was glorious fun but I gave it up for a time when a 

 monstrous green moray measuring six feet or more swam lei- 

 surely under my thrashing toes when I passed too close to its 

 hole in the cliff. The beast gave me one of the nastiest scares I 

 have ever had. I did not suspect its presence until I saw its long 

 sinuous green form with a row of stiletto-like teeth out of the. 

 corner of my eye as I was coming in to a landing on the shelf. I 

 descended with a thump, quickly grasped the rock and scram- 

 bled up to safety. Morays are among the most savage fish that 

 dwell in the sea and it is their custom to lie hidden in shadowy 

 crevices and holes waiting for some luckless fish to pass. They 

 belong to the family of eels and although apparently sluggish 

 they can move with amazing rapidity. That this one did not 

 take a piece out of my anatomy can only be attributed to the 

 fact that it probably was not particularly interested; my white 

 body only excited its curiosity. But the adventure shook me 

 somewhat and several weeks went by before I got up nerve 

 enough to go swimming off the rocks again. 



