Today’s Greek Lesson:

Swim Through = kolympíste mésa = κολυμπήστε μέσα

Last night’s nudie swim was a little shorter, in part (I think?) because of fatigue but also the presence of a big obnoxious mega-yacht that was so bright it was killing our bioluminescence joy. We could still see the sparkles on the dark side of our boat, but it was a little like night swimming off of Manhattan to be so close to it. Still, everyone had a nice dip and I was tucked in by 930.

I woke to the sound of the engine starting which means jump up and prepare for a little deck duty. Specifically, line coiling as Alina swam out to retrieve our two stern lines. All aboard, we made for Formikula Island, the Monk Seal hideaway.

The Mediterranean Monk Seal is critically endangered with fewer than 700 left in the world, so it feels like a lightning strike to ever see one, and I have been so fortunate twice now. Both of my encounters were here at Formikula. The first time was 4 years ago, when we had a monk seal actually play a little peekaboo with us around a big boulder. I got 3 photographs and it was gone. Last week, we saw a few from the boat, then Susan and I each had a brief encounter in the water (no photographs, wahhh).

And so with high hopes we slipped into a perfectly flat sea around Formikula’s intricate shores. Though the Monk Seals mostly denied us (Erika saw one flash by and out to the depths!) the geological thrills, static and reliable, delivered. Formikula is an island of swim throughs. Deep archways, caves at the surface and a few that can only be spelunked from underwater, submerged holes that lead to stone tunnels that let out a few meters away. Those of us who love play time in the sea get a little giddy when we see structures like these. We lose our buoys and start diving down.

Here’s a fun little video celebration of our swim through morning.

Of the two and a half hours we spent circumnavigating the island (about a 1.25 mile journey), I’d guess we spent at least a full 45 minutes underwater. I think we did not miss a single crack or crevice. Bliss.

Ken found a massive Triton’s Trumpet Gastropod (snail) an got a photo of it with Alison for scale. Lunch was delectable fig watermelon salad and spinach pie (I saved some for myself for breakfast tomorrow - hands off, Romesie!) We also watched a small fishing boat work the shoreline here for a seemingly small catch of small fishes. There’s not much left to fish out of the Mediterranean, but fish they do.

I think we could easily mount a full week of swimming at this one island alone. We loved it here so much, we stayed through lunch and did a second swim around a little satellite island about a quarter of a mile away. We’ve always eye balled it but never actually done it, so today was the day. We beelined across the deep water bottomed with tufted sea grasses and headed right for a new cave. This one had two openings leading to the same place, so of course we all had to enter and exit from each one a few times. On and around the satellite island where the swim throughs were deeper and more challenging - and still we passed. By the time we climbed back aboard to make for our evening destination, we had already logged 3.5 hrs of water time.

Swim throughs and trash collection - our swimmers have been great about picking up trash we discover on these remote pocket beaches. Alison towed back a cleaner bottle and flipflop.

And so a nice long sail! To Ithika, and specifically Marmagkas Bay on the north west shore. We dropped anchor at about 430 and the crew decided to set our charges free - Free swim! Swim! Run! Swim run! Have at. And so they did. With running shoes tucked into buoys, they made for the beachy shore.

Unfortunately, Melissa caught a jellyfish - a little across the face but also across the soft sensitive skin of her inner forearm. She came swimming back and we instantly applied a poultice of baking soda and sea water. Susan researched and came up with this remedy last week when she was stung in this exact same bay. In addition to the poultice, a gin and tonic complete with juniper berries seemed to help! Huzzah!

Jellyfish are occasionally a part of open water swimming, and while stings are never fun, they are temporary. As swimmers committed to everything the sea can throw, we know we must occasionally swim through such hazards - just like the elusive Monk Seal, it is their home, afterall. Melissa had a nice quiet cocktail hour and several reapplications of the paste before the rest of the gang came back, hard run and sting-free. Alison reported encountering 25 goats on her run up the island road - these had bells on and made for a jingly jog.

Dinner is afoot and I think for some of us, our night time dip is in question with the presence of jellies in the bay. Hoping the katabatic winds of sunset push them out to see in time for our morning swim here.

Tonight, I think we will all have swim-through dreams, of tunnels and and caves and routes to blue bliss.

Kali Nikta,

Heather

Dinner was well-earned and wonderful, including Greek Orange Cake for dessert - it’s been soaking in sweet herbal sauces for a day!

Tuesday = Swimming Through.

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