Mike in the Wild

We should have listened more carefully as we settled into our seats for our circumnavigation boat tour of Antigua.  But I was distracted—rattled by last-minute changes to the meeting spot, the start time, and a tense standoff over the condition of my American cash.  Yes, I knew there were supposed to be no rips in the bills I used to pay for the trip.  I just hadn’t noticed one when my husband and I pooled our money in our stateroom that morning.  So I missed the moment when the captain asked the group a question that would soon matter very much: Does anyone have back problems? Our friend Jackie had joined us on a seven-day Caribbean cruise out of San Juan.  For months, we’d planned excursions on each of the five islands we’d visit.  Jackie and I both love snorkeling, and she’s fond of recounting her kayaking adventures in Costa Rica and zip-lining triumphs in Roatan.  The tour I found sounded tailor-made for her: Adventure Antigua’s Extreme Circumnavi...

There was nothing I wanted to do more on Cozumel than snorkel.  Ringed by coral reefs, the Mexican Caribbean island is renowned for the sport.  However visiting while on a short stop off of a cruise ship, I didn't have a lot of time or options at my disposal.  Forgoing renting a car and exploring from several beaches on my own, I settled on a ship-sponsored snorkeling trip off of a catamaran.  But I was surprised to find that even before nine o'clock in the morning, very little happens with vacationers in Cozumel that doesn't include an open bar.  Yes, it seemed my excursion was a snorkeling adventure disguised not so discreetly as a booze cruise.  Sure there was a catamaran, and yes we sailed down the verdant coast just barely out of sight of our gargantuan cruise ship.  In every direction, mottled greens and blues outlined reefs just below the water's surface.  Of course we stopped and donned masks and snorkels - some of us even fins - before ju...

Belize is the quintessential destination for anyone eager to explore the Mesoamerican Reef, the world's second largest coral reef system.  The country's entire Caribbean Sea coastline, more than one hundred miles in length, is edged by segments of the reef usually only a short boat ride to the east from local ports.   On my seven-day cruise's stop in Belize, at Belize City, I headed to Caye Caulker, part of the string of barrier islands to the north of the capital city.  The sandy cay lies to the west of a section of the reef that's part of a network of pristine marine preserves.  Nearby was another unbelievable site - or maybe un-Belize-able as the locals liked to advertise - a sandbar petting zoo of sorts populated by timid sharks and gentle stingrays.   I had turned my back on the reef, quite literally, on my last cruise to Belize over a year ago, when I headed west and inland to Lamanai.  While I was in awe of the site's ancient Maya...

Medano Beach seemed like the last spot in Cabo San Lucas to try snorkeling, but I found myself doing it anyway.  The beach is busy owing to its proximity to the resort town's crowded port and to the scenic tip of Baja California in clear view across the bay.  The long, sandy stretch of coastline is filled with resorts hosting winter visitors trading blowing snow drifts for calm, lapping waves.  Jet skis, water taxis, and parasailers compete with swimmers in the azure waters.  But snorkelers?  I suspected there'd be very few of us. But there I was, having trekked over half an hour from my cruise ship's tender boat pier, passing hundreds of smaller docks and slips with my brand-new snorkeling gear on my back.  To be fair, I was with my husband, and we wanted a scenic, relaxing day at the beach on a Christmas Eve off of our cruise ship.  It was only me that wanted to snorkel.  And having been to the area the previous month, and successfully snorkeled...