A Christmas Seahorse Tale - St. Vincent

Waterlogged Date: 12/03/97

It was the night dive before Christmas (almost) and the water was still. Then what appeared before me but Santa's Seahorse, all ready for his night's ride. He was a beautiful orange in color in the spirit of these holidays. With a little whinny and a toss of his head, he started down the reef with me in tow, a gentle pony this night with much to show. No reindeer here in St. Vincent in the Caribbean at Christmas time, no sleet or snow or cold weather. Instead, warm sun and water to go with all the carols and cheer. Were you to ask me which I'd rather - you can see I am here. The gifts were many on this night, as varied and magical as any could be. Not boxed and wrapped, but many were under the trees. Black coral trees. Pink and orange, green and white, yellow and black - more colors than any land-bound Christmas trees. They began as shallow as thirty feet and became more numerous and larger the deeper we swam. The blackbar soldier fish hovered in swarms over the reef, from dozens to hundreds as the ride went on, more than I had ever seen. The tall, graceful gorgonians swayed languidly just below them, with basket starfish arms open wide to the gentle current, some with tiny red and white, candy cane striped shrimp inside. There was no shortage of jewel-like flamingo tongue snails on the dark brown deep water gorgonians, sometimes as many as ten. Sponges of yellow, red, brown and orange just to begin, with colors of azure, deep red, and cream to spare. Sharpnose puffers dozing on barrel sponges' sides. Inside, the familiar spotted and uncommon viper moray eels rested, teeth sharp and jaws agape, marveling at the wonders of this night. Small crabs clutching pieces of sponge were walking around or just hanging out waiting for fun. Looking under a ledge at a jumble of legs and antennae, what did I see huddled together but crustaceans - spiny lobsters, small to large, all in a group like little children waiting for Santa to appear; all were restless and excited and full of good cheer. Slipper lobsters were also there, solitary wanderers with slow and cautious gaits. And throughout, there was the occasional goldspotted eel nosing about. Many strange shapes appeared of creatures both familiar and new. Scorpionfish all camouflaged and the staid, comical-looking little anglerfish on the clump of sponge, both lying in wait. The big yellowfin grouper was fast asleep in a hollow coral head, blotches of red, outlined in white, with black and yellow trim on the fins to finish his dress. Much too well hidden in his bed for a photo on this night. Goatfish, usually yellow and white were scattered randomly about on the sand, dressed for night, all pink and bright. Colorful parrotfish lay sleeping all about the reef, the princesses in fine spun cocoons to hide their presence from those they did not wish to meet. There were white and black spotted drums - from juveniles with their tiny, wispy fins to adults much larger, thicker and darker of body and shorter of fin. One little cherub angel was aroused from his bed- soon to return, grumbling for sure about being disturbed. Having now been to nearly 100 feet and come back up again, my companion and I, now forever friends, had to part company for my air was getting thin. If you ever journey to the island of St. Vincent, get Santa's helpers, the dive guides of St. Vincent, to take you on a visit to the Christmas Seahorse and his friends and then you can dive your own Seahorse Tale. Contact the SVG tourist office for information on the diving in St. Vincent or visit the scubaSVG.com, the SVG Tourist Office SCUBA diving, for more photos, travel, dive and island information. Story by Woody Mayhew.

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