Fitzroy Reef – bossa nova

Apologies to my email subscribers, another try …

There are so many coral cays out here but the weather and time dictates how many you can visit as sheltered anchorages are a must. If there is an island, they are quite small. We can usually circumnavigate them in under an hour by foot, so it’s the coral reef that really shelters us. Fitzroy Reef has no island, only a coral cay surrounding an accessible lagoon, somewhat like Lady Musgrave, (but with no island). Its entrance is marked and deep, but quite a bit narrower than LM. After a ‘first light’ departure from LM we entered the entrance at about one hour before low tide and was it rushing out! We expected a slack entrance but we were fighting 3 knots of current. The reef either side did seem rather too close. We followed our track from last year on our chartplotter and with me on the bow making tweaks to our course … phew! We’re in. A sterling job Captain!

Up before dawn & it was calm

Leaving Lady Musgrave

Fitzroy Reef … a very tight channel at low tide

Looking behind you can see the water rushing out

Once inside it was calm and certainly no swell. Low tide was on the radar so it was time for another snorkel.

Always a favourite the Anemonefish!

Yep I can see you!

The intricate coral patterns!

I’m not entirely happy with my photos yet. It is a slow process familiarizing myself with new equipment let alone just being back in the water. By the end of our 2018 season I was on top of my camera’s capabilities and my snorkeling capabilities, but along with refreshing the (ageing) memory with my camera, I am also needing to learn about my new gear. One step at a time. I am also reliant on sunshine and low tides for light as a snorkeler. No internet out here doesn’t help either. Google knows everything. Plenty of time!

I found some small giant clams (maxima clam). The colours and pattern detail in clams is stunning. They are easier to photograph as they don’t move! Although, they do sense the light changing when I’m near, so they can close, usually only partially though.