Cozumel - Underwater!

We actually stopped in Cozumel on Friday, but somehow the post seems to have been lost.

A little crowded at this pier! 

The main activity was our intro to scuba diving tour.  We have never scuba dove, so we weren't sure what to expect.  Theresa was a little nervous, since she can be claustrophobic, and apparently that is a thing for scuba?  Bill was looking forward to not having gulps of sea water every time a wave washes over the snorkel end!  There is a LOT of gear that goes into it, with a tank strapped to our back, a hose for our air, a spare hose (in case), and a buoyancy vest that inflates to stay on the surface, and deflates for diving.  Plus a weight belt.  So ambling out to the water was a bit like a penguins (who can move on the land but don't look quite right doing so!).

We practiced breathing with the mouth piece.  We practiced purging water from the mask.  And then we set out.  Theresa struggled to stay under water and breathe without feeling like she was drowning, so she mostly stayed just below the water -- or semi-submerged.  Bill went under, but struggled to hold position.  It seemed like he kept floating up or sinking down.  Holding a flat plane and cruising like a submarine was tough to master.  But by the end of the swim, both were managing a bit better.  

While we were down there, we saw some cool man made reefs, a lot of wild life, including a small turtle.  But after about 40 minutes, I think we were both quite ready to be done.  Back to the ship for a quick bite.  The rest of the day was fine, but not memorable, evidently!

We dove in the area about in the center of this picture, taken from the ship.  So, didn't cover a 
lot of Cozumel this trip!