Just outside the centre of George Town, as you head south down Church Street, on the waterfront, looking west out over the sea, sits the Eden Rock Dive Centre.
On a bright sunny day and let’s face it that is most days, the view is stunning.
The sea sparkles. A patchwork of emerald green and pale blue. Millpond flat it reflects the sun and the startling blue sky.
As you look towards the horizon the sea darkens to a deeper and deeper blue. Near black. It looks utterly serene.
Slipping into the sea and below the surface you enter the blue and green world.
Fish of every colour flit around among the fan coral.
Moving away from the shore the sea bed slopes gently down until it meets the reef proper. Here you find the skylights. Holes in the reef dropping down into the grottos below.
You slip down through a skylight. Drifting down into the grottoes. Twilight tunnels illuminated only by the blue tinged sunlight streaming down through the skylights above. The stained glass light falling into a silent cathedral cloister space. The water motionless. Still. The silt undisturbed by even the slightest current.
In this silent still place float ghosts.
Motionless.
Hanging.
Waiting.
As still as statues.
As patient as stone. As old as stone.
The sun streams into their cathedral hallows glinting on their great armour scales.
Mirror bright. Shinning like polished silver.
Sentinals.
Templar Knights.
Some alone others in large groups. Their bodies ranging from two or three feet in length to six-foot giants.
The Caribbean King Fish or Silver King.
Tarpon.
A truly ancient fish. Older than the grottoes they inhabitant. Old when the reefs that these twilight tunnels penetrate were new.
As you pass them they barely move. Completely unafraid of the divers who visit their grottoes. You can reach out and touch their great silver flanks or tails and they hardly flinch.
A mere twitch and they move aside and let you pass.
Resuming once again their motionless vigil.
Waiting.
In late Spring change comes.
The stillness comes alive.
Swarms.
The empty grottoes fill with life. Millions of Atlantic Silversides appear.
Atheriniformes.
Tiny sparkling silver fish forming living curtains.
Pulsating.
Swirling and parting like magic for the great tarpon as they swim back and forth through the clouds. Feasting on the glut.
The wait over for another year.
Under an Endless Sky 
Beautiful.
LikeLiked by 1 person