Shroud Cay, Exuma—I expected that scraping barnacles and grass from the underside of my sailboat would involve hours of necessary but nasty work. Once, after a particularly messy hull cleaning, I came to the surface covered in algae, and my scalp was crawling with biting sea lice. 

Today, however, my sealife encounter was ethereal.

As I worked underwater, a sphere of translucent glass minnows surrounded me in a sanctuary they found under the boat. Glass minnows are shape shifters. En masse, they form a defensive cocoon; a cloud of life that changes its appearance like smoke. It’s a fish version of starlings moving together in an underwater murmuration.

I posed no threat, they showed no fear.

It reminded me of the writings of naturalist John Burroughs: The best place to observe nature, he said, is where you are.

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As always, sailing is not just about the wind and the sea; the places, the flora, fauna, and people encountered along the way are equally important.

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Let this be a time of grace and peace in our lives – Rev. John C. Baker