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Page 68. Suddenly I was in a new world. Gone was the noise of the compressor motor; all was quiet now, except for the sound of my breathing and the bubbles escaping from the regulator in my mouth. Hundreds of brightly colored fish darted about. Rockfish of all types: China cod, chucklehead, vermillion. A big ugly sheepshead with deformed teeth swam by, oblivious to the large black rubber newcomer. A small bright orange spot flitted about in the distance. As it came closer I could see that it was a Garibaldi, one of the prettiest fish in the sea, and the California State Saltwater Fish. Kelp stalks swayed lazily in the underwater breeze. Calico bass hovered around the large brown leaves of the floating kelp canopy. The water was shallow, twenty feet, and crystal clear, with visibility close to forty feet. After swimming down to the bottom, I spotted the anchor safely burrowed into a small sand channel. Sparkling rays of light shown down from above, and looking up, I could see the misshapen image of the boat floating above. |