366 I N A G U A 



audible plop fell in the water several yards away. It was fol- 

 lowed by several more and all around we could hear their pat- 

 terings as they rose, flew, and returned to their proper element. 

 Further away a heavier and more sullen splash marked the 

 place where some larger creature, perhaps pursuing the flying- 

 fish, had lunged through the surface and fallen back again. 



The ocean seemed alive. Gleams of silver flared briefly up 

 from the depths, thrown back by the bright scales of schooling 

 fishes. Close by the hull a twice repeated swish of rippling 

 water gave evidence of the presence of some large moving 

 organism whose fins had broken the surface. Shadows even 

 blacker than the general tone of the water glided under the 

 hull and merged with the liquid emptiness beyond. High above, 

 between the stars and the reef, the faint call of migrating sand- 

 pipers came filtering down through space and once, in the di- 

 rection of the breakers, a tarpon leaped high in the air, shook 

 itself, and landed on the water with a loud crash. 



The same feeling of uneasiness that had come upon me in 

 my first night dive swept over me again. But the thought of 

 seeing the great reef in the moonlight was so tempting that I 

 pushed the crawling fear into the background of my con- 

 sciousness. This time I was descending fully clothed and with 

 a strong pair of shoes to ward off the spines of sea urchins that 

 I might not see in the dark. Also, I decided to carry a short 

 spear to prevent the unwelcome attentions of any large fishes 

 which might become too curious. 



I delayed my dive into the water long enough to allow an 

 acre-wide swarm of thimble- jellies to float slowly by. They 

 were packed so closely together that their sides touched, and 

 in the fifteen minutes that elapsed before they passed under the 

 keel their denseness never diminished. Each square foot con- 

 tained several hundred; the swarm must have contained well 

 over a million. When they were safely by I vaulted over the 



