about the bow. To a man, the whole ship's company 

 grabbed cameras and began photographing while the 

 frolicsome animals raced and stunted and showed oflF be- 

 fore us hke Hollywood veterans. 



Snorting and cavorting, they would swim alongside, 

 then make a sudden lunge into the white foam which 

 curled up at our bow. In formations of three and four they 

 raced along just beneath the surface, then with one accord 

 leaped gracefully into the air. As they dove back into the 

 water, we could hear their squeals of glee, and the peculiar 

 sound of their breathing through the blowholes in the 

 top of their heads. They stayed with us until Sea Diver 

 approached what now appeared to be the remains of a 

 drifted marker beacon. Then suddenly they were gone, 

 and in their place we caught glimpses of hundreds of 

 rapier-like barracuda swimming in easy, wide circles 

 about the wreckage, their silver-and-black bodies gleam- 

 ing against the brightly lighted white bottom sands. A 

 school of smootlily curved "horse-eyes" slowly and de- 

 liberately circled Sea Diver. And as we paid out our an- 

 chor, a dozen amber jacks gathered at our stern; beyond 

 them a churning mass of houndfish awaited the pleasure of 

 the larger fish for supper. 



I looked toward the numerous barracuda, ranging in 

 size from two to six feet, as they milled about the water- 

 logged structure, and thanked my stars that I was on deck. 

 Not so Jane and Barney. 



"Come on, Jane. Here's our chance to get some pic- 

 tures of barracuda," Barney called to her. The anchor was 

 hardly down before they were over the side, armed with 

 nothing more than a camera apiece. Barney struck out 

 toward the fish and Jane followed. Now they were midway 

 between the marker and the boat. The barracuda retreated 

 before tliem, fanning out to each side as they approached. 

 We called to them not to allow themselves to become en- 



The Bahama Islands 117 



