April Fool's Day

April Fool's day, so I guess it is appropriate that I was a fool today, trying to snorkel in waves that were a bit strong for my skill level. We had gone to the Punta Arena beach for the day, leaving at 10:30, arriving an hour later, and the first thing we did was hike a bit farther up the coast

It was quite rocky after the 100 meters of sand ended, and we found a nice place to jump off the rocks into the ocean. I had been the only one to jump in, catching my breath as I entered the cool waters for the first time. It was nice and deep, I had let myself sink as far as my momentum took me, and I didn't touch anything. I saw some larger fish and stingrays along the bottom, then turned to exit. 

I realized then that it would be harder to get out as the drop off was covered with sharp shells and barnacles. I decided to test the waters and headed out to the ocean to swim around the shallow reef that was in between us and the beach where we had camped. When I got to the edge where the water met the reef, the 3 foot waves made it hard slogging, and I soon changed my mind and headed back to the jump off point. 

I managed to find a place to clamber up, with only 2 small cuts to show for it. I looked back at the reef and realized the waves were largest at the very end of the reef. If I had made it around that, I probably would have been able to make it back with little trouble. 

Soon after returning to our campsite, I was looking at the water again, and it didn't take long to get in the water (Phil and I) to do some snorkeling. I had some trouble with water entering my mask but was able to fix it without getting out. I was enjoying the sites, seeing fish of many colours the moment my mask hit the water, with some waves crashing around. It wasn't too difficult as I went back and forth along the shelf edge. It was murky and difficult to see many of the bigger fish off the edge of the coral reef, but above the reef, visibility was clear up to 5 meters. Phil is more cautious than I so we didn't go very far from where we entered. After 20 minutes, we were cold enough and headed back to snack and warm up.

A bit later, my son ran up declaring a shark was in the water. We hurried to see the amazing site, never having seen a shark in the waters we have entered here in BCS. It was soon clear it wasn't a shark, it was a sea lion. I swam out to get a better look, and was soon enjoying the curious creatures investigative circles, swimming under and around me to see what I was. 

After a rest and some food, I went back to snorkel, this time with Ben. We went farther, and I had trouble with my mask letting in water again. As we got to the end of the reef we had been following, the waves became bigger and bigger. We stopped to tread water, I cleared my mask, and we talked about whether to continue or go back. I swallowed some water as I tried to get my mask back in place, and more water when I put my head down to start to swim as the snorkel was submersed by another wave. 

Coughing and treading water, I tried to get set to try again, but the waves just kept coming, we had stopped at the worst point for waves, and I couldn't seem to get my equipment working for me, so I told Ben to go back, I was already pushed above shallow reef with sharp rocks all over, that I would walk. I thought I might get cut up, but I would be alright, Ben is a better swimmer and would be fine. 

He headed back, and I tried to get my footing, kept getting knocked over and started to realize the sharpness of the rocks was about what I had expected. I tried to lift my feet and hands and allow the waves to push me closer to shore, but the level of the water went up and down so much, my hands and feet kept hitting the rocks anyways. Once I was in water that was ankle deep, but with big waves still crashing, I stumbled over the reef to deep water on the more sheltered side and swam to a little inlet, clambered over the sharp rocks as carefully as I could, and soon was able to overlook the bay, wondering if Ben was OK. He was, just climbing out of the water where we had entered. I felt foolish for having undertaken snorkeling in less than ideal conditions without a life-jacket, and relieved and thankful to God for being up above it all at this point. Over confidence in the ocean is the undoing of many a soul who enters there. 

Psalm 89:8-9 O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you? You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.

The Lord made the sea and all that is therein, and the power of the sea is not to be trifled. Yet I love to see the amazing things in the ocean, to experience the moving water, to search under its mantle. The mysteries and creation awaiting are exciting. There is so much hidden from view until you break the surface. A verse that talks metaphorically of the ocean and its vastness is Micah 7:19, that God will take our sins and cast them into the oceans depths. Until this day, most of the ocean is unexplored. Our sins will never be uncovered when the Lord removes them. He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. Psalm 145:8