Our first night back to the boat last week, we were awakened by repeated noises at random intervals. As boat dwellers, we are used to noises of all kinds. There are repeated thwackings of rigging ropes; there are water smackings; there are sail slappings; and there are thunks and bumps of canned foods or loose bolts rolling in their cupboards. These sounds were of different intensities, hard firm bumps and also fluttery gentle bumps. Brian was up in the dark wandering around the topdeck with a bright flashlight for a long time. The unique thing about these noises was that they were not emanating from one location. It was as if they were happening at every corner of the boat. After many hours of dozing, then being awakened by a particularly loud thunk, then dozing again, I realized something. Some of the noises were accompanied by a flippery, flappy sound. Could these be fish?
In La Paz, the croaker fish under the boat would turn on their bullfrog type calls right after sunset. And fish are very much attracted to reefs and floating objects. We were a floating object. The bottomsides of Skagua were thickly crusted by crustaceans after sitting unattended for 5 weeks. These things all started to explain the random noisy attacks. First thing in the morning, I got up and with Eila, peered from the trampoline at the water line. Sure enough, there was an 18 inch heavy-headed fish swimming around. And then another. There were also smaller fish lingering here and there. Ok mystery solved. It's amazing how knowing the source of a sound can help a person ignore its persistent presence.
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