Sea Creatures and the Blue Grotto

I don't know why I seem to attract all the biting and stinging insects and animals out there...mosquitoes love me, but fortunately we have only had a few of them on this trip (I had to play the great white mosquito hunter the night we spent by the Bodrum airport as they were biting both of us).  But the minute we got in the water at Fethiye, I was stung on the legs by unseen jellyfish. Unwisely I ignored the stings and in the morning they were the itchiest welts ever. Over the next few days I attracted more jellyfish and more stings but am now armed with vinegar to neutralize the nematocysts.  They can't keep me out of the swimming pool-like water!

Someone told me a long time ago that the Med is a "dead" sea - that all the coral is dead and that there is not much life. While the coral may be long gone, I have seen a surprising number of colorful tropical fish and we even saw an enormous sea turtle in the harbor at Meis/Kastellorizo.

On the second day on Meis, we took a water taxi to see the Blue Cave. The ride in itself was nice and it was surprising to see that the island is quite large, as the only current habitation is on the east side around the harbor.  Ancient monasteries still dot the rocky hilltops but it is quite a hike to see them.

Through a tiny opening in rocky coastline we slipped into the Blue Cave - a luminescent cavern that has been aptly named as the water glows blue, which is reflected and forms a blue ceiling. It looks like there are electric lights illuminating it from below!  There is a small beach inside the cave and we were told that seals make their home there to pup - a very sheltered area in an otherwise very rocky and unforgiving coastline.