Tidal pool on Seroe Colorado

At one end of the island there is a cactus covered hill, uninhabited but for wild goats. At the top of the hill a wide circle with gear teeth, all that was left of a WWII gun emplacement. On the ocean side, which was windward, we found a circular tidal pool carved out of the rock by the waves: 10 feet around, 5 feet deep. No one came to this side of the island but us kids. The pool was beautiful, pristine, safe from large dangers (sharks) but close to small dangers (sea urchine spines) The surrounding rock (coral) was pitted and dark red. The pool sides were blue and green, with pure black dots of sea urchins. We can sit in the pool and be washed by foamy waves every couple of minutes.

Tarpon in Magroves

The largest brackish water stream was surrounded by a mangrove forest. These were dense and, under the intertwined roots which reached out into the water, fecund. The mangroves made this area moist, lots of insects. When we kayaked here our paddles would bump into fish. The backs of unknown types of fish would appear just under the surface. I only ever saw one other person in the swamp: a fisherman sitting on the roots with a hand line stretched into the water, a six foot tarpon dreaped next to him.

Gold mine

I never found anything of value at the old gold mine, but several of my friends had. We were naturally thrilled with greed and explored eagerly. There was lots of fool's gold, and though it's formations are quite pretty, we wouldn't collect it, feeling the weight of its name.

Pink lagoon was a small lagoon at the end of a mangrove forest. The sand worms someone created a pink color in the sand. We camped on the beach and fished in the lagoon. On the ocean side was a staghorn coral forest. The wave action allowed the coarl to break the surface every minute or so. This was considered dangerous because, when swimming there the waves could push you against the sharp coral.

But that didn't stop us. Jimmy and I had made hawaiian slings out of 1/2" water pipe, rubber bands and coathanger wire (for spears). Unfortunately, the spears bounced off the tough (inedible) parrot fish. However, when Jimmy pulled the bands too far, the spear dropped out of the pipe and he released it unguided, sending it through two of his fingers. He dropped his sling, pulled the spear out, swam in to the lagoon and rode his bicycle off to the hospital. Without telling me. I found the sling on the ocean floor and went ashore. A mother with her young child upbraided me for swimming in the dangerous tide and see what happened to your friend.