Wednesday Wet and Wildlife.
After a night so silent and still I awoke confused about where I was, the morning came with calm waters but threatening skies.
The forecast was wet and cool, all day. Okay. We get what we get. I walked out on deck with a look on my face that must have registered my disappointment with the weather. Mandy grabbed me by the shoulders. “You can’t do anything about the weather! You can keep me motivated through it though!!”
She’s so right. Thank you, Mandy!
And sure enough, all 4 of our swimmers suited up and we jumped in to swim the Peristera shoreline that is home to a big, rusting Alonissos shipwreck. We spent only a few minutes at the wreck before Mandy and I took off down the coast. Little did we know that behind us, Allyson spotted an octopus that she, Katharine and Dominque got to follow as it crammed itself back into an impossibly small hole. So cool.
This stretch of shallow sea floor is where we found last week’s mini-mystery: The Urchins Wearing Hats. In many places around the world, Sea Urchins have been observed decorating themselves with rocks, shells, algae, bits of flotsam and jetsam and even the skeletons of other dead urchins. No one is certain why they do this, though it appears to be a sort of sub-sea armor, perhaps protection against predation, desiccation in the intertidal zone or possibly even against UV rays. What I find most interesting about this prickly story is that this particular stretch of shore line is the only place where we have witnessed this behavior en masse. We see urchins everywhere in Greece, and sometimes they have hats. But here, they ALL do, and they all have A LOT of hats. I shared what I knew about this spiny situation with the gang and they were fascinated. I love this. Even on a cold, rainy swim, my swimmers are truly enthusiastic and interested in something as small as a hatted sea urchin and the mystery surrounding it.
The swim was full of lots of interesting things that we were able to see while cruising along fast enough to keep warm. I spotted some small cardinal fish, bright red, that I have yet to see in Greece. Katharine found another octopus (Mandy and I missed it again!) and Simon got a few pics. We all saw an eel at about 15 feet below the surface. He was hanging out under a stone ledge. And of course, urchins with so many fancy hats. We bobbed around for over an hour. Cold and rain be damned.
Look closely to see the octopus - nice spotting by Allyson and Katharine, and nice shot by Simon!
We warmed up with a hot rinse and tea and the ladies chatted as we moved the yacht to Elaki Bay on the southern tip of Peristera Island. We had a warm and fantastic lunch of small plate yums, including Lou Lou’s yacht made meatballs with feta inside, fried zaganaki and of course lots of salads and dips and other stuff. More tea, too.
Anyone for another swim?
We cringed our way into wet bathing suits and neoprene vests, and everyone jumped in. Calm smooth waters juxtaposed the dramatic skies, and we all cruised along the steep walls of the bay. The flat surface gave us all a chance to work on the stroke tips Simon has given us after watching our stroke videos. I took Dominique and Mandy on a wall wander for about a half mile out then back, while Simon pushed the pace with Katharine and Allyson to get to a swim through he remembered from last year. They covered two miles total in 45 minutes, and they enjoyed several turns at the swim through to boot.
Thankfully, the water isn’t too too cold, and there are hot water showers and hot cups of tea to combat the chilly, damp air. We all dried off with fresh towels (surprise!) and put on our warmies for the trip into the dock at Patitiri where we will dine ashore and spend the night. Cozy.
Allyson was even game to swim a little further with me to recreate a photo I made here last year with my dear brother in law. He’d found an old chair seat under an olive tree and declared he’d moved in. The seat was even more broken and in a bush near by, but I scrambled up to sit in it and Allyson scrambled to get the shot!
Ladies, thank you for warming me today with your gameness, your enthusiasm for the small but amazing things, and your excitement about even a rainy day in this special Aegean Sea. You make a guide so glad to be out there with you.
Speaking of hats…I’m glad I brought mine!
Love,
Heather
Ps. Thank you to Amy from last week who left me her neoprene swim shirt and rain coat! Both are getting some use this week! XO
Fantastic dinner out in Patitiri - authentic Greek in town and out of the rain! Yamas!
