While in San Pancho, we heard an enchanting tale about a protected bay with placid, translucent water where the snorkeling was excellent and one could most certainly catch their dinner if they could figure out the mysteries of the Hawaiian Sling. Being on a never ending search for the perfect beach, we were intrigued. Saying goodbye to Jenn and Chris (they were headed inland) we followed Jenna and Josh down the coast with high hopes.
Upon our first view of Playa Tenacatita we found it wasn't exactly what we were looking for. We know we were being overly picky, but the sand was not the pale blonde we envisioned, but instead almost black, and the shore rocky. It was hard to complain because we had the place to ourselves, the view of the immense rocks jutting out of the water was beautiful, and since we were on a narrow peninsula we had a beach on either side of us and could see the sun rise and set over the ocean on the same day.
Within 5 minutes of arriving we got stuck in the sand. Luckily our friends were there to pull us out, and we got to test our recovery gear for the first time.
Josh took his speargun out to try to catch some dinner and came back with some not so great news. The water was full of dozens of stingrays! He estimated seeing about thirty. Watching these graceful creatures glide underwater has always been a favorite of mine, but a bay full of them I could certainly do without.
Our evening visitor. Possibly a huntsman spider? Big and so so fast, but harmless...we think?
The following morning several people came to swim. Shortly after they jumped in the water, a poor soul jumped out, blood gushing from his foot. Bringing him bandages we tried to help. It looked as though the barb had gone all the way through his foot. Jenna told him I was a nurse and he asked if his foot was going to be ok. Since in Tennessee we get absolutely no experience with stingray wounds, I gave my him my best “reassuring medical professional nod" and told him to hold pressure on the puncture. What I was actually thinking was, “Holy shit that looks unbearably painful! I'm never getting in that water.”
Ninety degree weather and a petrifying ocean feet from our doorstep made for a fairly miserable rest of the day. Pete did brave the seas and managed to make his first catch with our Hawaiian Sling, which was of course...a stingray. We fried him up with salt and butter and, surprisingly, he was quite tasty.
Final score: Stingrays 01, Humans 01