The choice of locations to visit was next in line. As long time residents of the island, our group was a little different. In an effort to provide us with a unique experience, we were questioned as to which sites we had visited. With most of us having done Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley – the team decided to go with Shark Ray Alley and a second snorkel stop at Coral Gardens, another site close by. Coral Gardens had been severely damaged by past hurricanes, however, as Lorne explained, the new growth was amazing and the marine life was thriving. So, with little delay, our sites were chosen. Making our way to Shark Ray alley, as the boat cuts the crystal clear waters, the visibility was perfect. With little wind blowing and flat water, our day’s adventure was looking very good. Within ten minutes of leaving the dock, we had made our way to Shark Ray Alley. Being the first ones at the site, Shark Ray Alley was all ours – so our experience was even more thrilling! In the business for over a decade, Lorne knew just what to do to give us an up close and personal experience with the rays at the alley. In use by the local fishermen when San Pedro was just a quaint fishing village, Shark Ray Alley served as a location where the catch of the day would be
cleaned. Since then, fish, nurse sharks and sting rays have been hanging around the location, waiting for lunch or dinner.

With much exposure to human beings, the marine life at Shark Ray Alley is very friendly and it is guaranteed that you will encounter a huge variety there.As soon as we jumped in the water, we knew we were in the right place. There was any number of stingrays and small nurse sharks enjoying the attention. Blue Tangs added color to the group, and we were in shark-ray heaven. A little fear, excitement and other emotions overcame
us as a huge stingray they call “Stubby” (because of his short tail), came around to show us who was boss. He kept bumping at us, trying to steal kisses and posing for the camera. He was a ham!! Below him, and all around us, a school of about six Nurse Sharks scaled the sea floor, scavenging for food. For about two and a half hours split between two separate snorkel locations, we got a chance to see a huge variety of colorful schools of fishes and coral formations, all sizes and colors.

With the expert guidance of Lorne and Jolene, we were able to tell what creatures we were witnessing. Jolene’s patience was truly appreciated as she guided the less expert amongst us. She was very informative,and at each stop, she would explain the ‘how’, ‘why’ and ‘what’ we were seeing, feeling, experiencing. Shark Ray became an entirely different place with the proper time and guidance dedicated to it. Most times, with a larger group, there may have been a question or two that would go unanswered, but with Grumpy & Happy, we were able to ask while in the water – and that made a huge difference. Suddenly, Shark-Ray Alley was a thrill, a place we were experiencing with renewed enthusiasm. If there were a pop quiz, we knew once back on board the boat, we could rattle off all sorts of fish names: reef butterfly fish, angelfish, juvenile yellowtail damselfish, blue tangs, yellowtail snappers, groupers, smooth trunkfish, sergeant major, sand tilefish, queen trigger and wrasse! With our brains full of fish names and our faces sore from smiling underwater, we made much of the sweet treats. As well as granola bars, cookies & crackers, bottled water and sweet juice on ice is provided by Grumpy and Happy for all their excursions. Certainly, we were very much excited for our next stop. If Shark-Ray Alley gave us such a thrill, we could only imagine the next place! Coral Gardens or Coral Forest – both names apply; this site is exactly what its name implies.

Huge coral formations: fire corals, Pillar corals, Elkhorn corals, & fields of Staghorn corals. And every so often, branches of really cool coral that change color depending on the amount of light that passes through – it appears as blue and at times purple. Thanks to our guides, we learned this very valuable tidbit, and got to experience it too! What I found to be really amazing about this site was the obvious progression of the reefs. There is a distinction between the old and new coral growth, especially the Staghorn corals.