The Tide Pools...

One of our favorite places here in Guam is a stretch of beach we call the Tide Pools.  High tide or low, the place is amazing!

Yesterday the tide was high.  Huge waves were breaking out towards the horizon, at the reef edge, then smaller waves broke out around those big rocks.  Up closer to the beach there is a maze of jagged lava rock, with perfect sandy-bottom pools wandering between.  They are just the right size and depth for small children to play!  Which leaves a Mama time to wander around taking pictures...

We went with my friend, who has four boys.  

My girls had their snorkels, of course.  They love to snorkel.  Who doesn't?  Even I, who have intense facial claustrophobia, love to snorkel here.  (As long as I can keep my face down in the water...  As soon as I surface I tend to hyperventilate...)  Everywhere you look there are amazing fish!

It is impossible to tell from this photo, but the pools are full of bright blue/turquoise tiny fish.  Also small butterfly fish, big parrot fish, and so many more that I don't know the names!  Also eels, but I try to pretend those aren't there...

The girls have the best time swimming, jumping off the rocks, trying to catch fish...

I wander around taking pictures of whatever catches my eye.

This big orange guy was dead (I think...) so I had no compunction in getting a close up.

Pretty, isn't it?

Little N and Miss A were perfecting their "dolphin jumps".

Miss M occupied herself for an astoundingly long time with pouring sea water on these rocks.  She said she was watering the plants.  Whatever.  I vowed to always bring an empty water bottle to the beach!

Then Miss A and Little N decided they needed to build a fort against a giant wave  that was supposedly coming our way.  It got pretty intense!  Involving this rope they found, vines from the forest, sticks, and much sand.

 I stalked hermit crabs.

This isn't exactly hard...  They are everywhere on this beach!  If you stand still, the sand at your feet literally begins to crawl with little shells.  Some are bigger...

This guy was quite big.  Which, I figure, is why he wasn't keen on posing for the camera lens hovering a couple inches away.  Crabs don't get this big by being dumb!

I did steal a shot of the amazing way his shells close off his opening.

Most of the crabs are super tiny!  Littler even that this.  So cute...

I love them!