These pictures are from Shark Ray Alley, the second stop on the snorkeling tour I took. There was much more non-coral marine life at Shark Ray than at Hol Chan (the first stop), probably in part because the guide chummed the water to bring out the sharks and stingrays. None of the chum actually made it to the water; it was all intercepted mid-air by leaping fish. But it attracted some sharks anyway, and later on some rays came by.
^Sergeant major.
^Nurse shark.
^Fan coral, and a stoplight parrotfish below it.
^There were blue-striped grunts all over the place. This school was hanging out in the shadow under the tour boat.
Hogfish, fan coral and brain coral.
Elkhorn coral.
^Bluehead wrasse.
Close-up on the blue-striped grunts under the boat.
^I think this is a blue tang.
^Brain coral detail.
^Yellowtail damselfish, one of my favorites.
^Another stoplight parrotfish.
^Lots of different fish hiding in elkhorn coral. I think the pink/orange stripey one might be a glasseye snapper.
Stingrays!
^These are a couple island kids who sometimes get free rides on tour boats.
^A nurse shark in hiding.
