Glowing, Glowing, Gone!

In spite of much wailing and gnashing of teeth, all six of the two-person kayaks finally made it into the open expanse of the BioBay, our bioluminescent destination on our trip to Puerto Rico last month.
All six teams, the Pros (Abby and Diane), the Couple (Chris and Beth), the Franchise (Andrew and Peter), the Semiskilled Duo (Amy and yours truly), the Sightseers (Liz and Claire), and the Pharaohs (Brian and Michael) were finally together again, floating peacefully under the clear but moonless Puerto Rican sky as our guide Maria told us about things that glowed in the bay, the fragility of the ecosystem that supported these life forms, and the history of these wonderful dinoflagelates that have awed and mystified many throughout the ages.
Since it had taken most of us longer than usual to reach the peaceful bay, Maria finished up her lecture quickly, encouraged us to sweep our hands back and forth through the ever glowing waters and then follow her back through the dark labyrinth of the mangrove lagoon.
We went in roughly the same order we had arrived: Maria with Abby and Diane right behind her, the Franchise looking after the Sightseers, the Semiskilled Duo being shepherded by the Couple, and the Pharaohs being pulled by the other guide as though they were floating on a royal barge down the Nile. I don’t think I would have minded the Pharaohs so much if they hadn’t been gloating over their effortless journey while so many of us were struggling to make some headway with our less than perfect kayaking.
Returning through the narrow, winding channel was made all the more fun by the fact that other groups were traveling through in their kayaks on their way to the Biobay. So, in addition to dodging mangrove roots, we also got to avoid the flailing paddles of other similarly inept kayakers trying to pass us. It was, in a word, AWESOME.
We thought that we had all made it through the worst of the lagoon gantlet when suddenly we heard loud yells and saw the formerly smug Pharaohs sputtering and splashing in the waist-deep water after being hit broadside by a kayak from another tour. The royal barge had capsized, and its haughty passengers were being baptized in the glowing waters of humiliation, much to the delight of all onlookers. They were rescued, losing only one sneaker and their dignity. Just thinking of it now brings a tear (of laughter) to one’s eye.
Eventually, we all made it back to the shore. The Pros were exultant in their prowess and in their enjoyment of the bay. The Pharaohs’ mood had unsurprisingly taken a nasty turn for the worse. The rest of us were mostly thankful that our “adventure” was coming to a conclusion.
Of course, while debarking from my kayak, I managed to lose my balance (apparently I have a rather large and low center of gravity) and I fell backwards into the warm water, giving my shorts a good soaking, but other than that, we all seemed physically unscathed by our extreme outdoor adventure. However, its psychological toll is another story…