Under The Sea

Last week, the exciting Cool Cats Magazine Travel section took you to the snow-capped peaks of HandiPeaks. Now, we’re leaving the road less traveled… in fact, we’re leaving the road altogether and hitting the water. Today, the Roamin’ Rambler takes you under the sea.

Out past Cathattan Beach in the crystal blue ocean all around HandiLand, there are adventures aplenty for those who want to get out and do something fun this summer. Sure, Cool Cats can snorkel over the Great Hairier Reef and take pictures with their underwater camera, but the treasures of the deep are even better far, far offshore.

To get to the prime scuba spot, Shipwreck Reef, the Roamin’ Rambler had to take an hour-long boat ride with Captain Ironhook, HandiLand’s resident pirate whose ship, the Plundarr, is parked at HandiLand Harbor.

“Why have you started taking scuba divers out to Shipwreck Reef,” I asked him.

“Yarr, I love anything to do with the wat-arr. Besides,” and here he leaned in super close and lowered his voice, “I once lost a ship out tharr, the ship I had before the Plundarr, it was called the Thundarr. And let me tell yarr, it ain’t called Shipwreck Reef for nothin’.”

You can bet this got my attention! A real shipwreck at Shipwreck Reef? For as long as I’ve been traveling around HandiLand, I’ve never heard of it. There were stories, of course, but I didn’t believe them. Now, I was on a boat with a real, live pirate and we were heading out to sea.

Captain Ironhook parked the boat in a calm spot of water and threw his anchor down.

“How do you know we’re here?” I asked him.

“Yarr, don’tcha think I know the wat-arr? My ship’s been through here, remembarr?”

I strapped on my scuba gear and loaded my camera over my shoulder. While I was down there taking pictures for the article, I thought I’d get to do a little snooping of my own. As I was about to jump off the boat and into the sea, Captain Ironhook caught my arm. Luckily, he used his hand and not his claw!

“Do me a fav-arr, won’tcha matey? When you’re down tharr, look for the Thundarr.”

Did I find the long-lost pirate ship? Did I get a peek at the treasures of Shipwreck Reef? Tune in next time for this very special two-part installment of the Roamin’ Rambler’s travel adventures!

To be continued…