Okinoshima

実はですね、僕はカナダの海は見たことないのです。　トロントはカナダの中央にあり五大湖も含め、沢山の湖が近くにありますが海岸に行きたかったら飛行機で３－６時間飛ばないと見えないのです。　海は２回ぐらいしか見たことないです。　一回目は北海道のビーチに訪れましたけど、台風が最近上陸していたのでだいぶ汚れていました。　二回目は高校二年生のときに学校の関係でキューバに行ったときです。　そこはとてもきれいだったけど、魚が全然いなかったので、あまり印象には残りませんでした。　一方、沖ノ島の海はきっと一生忘れられないと思います。とにかく海がガラスのように透き通っていて、きれいな魚が沢山あり、図鑑や観光の本にしか見えなかった美しい光景を見えたことが本当に凄かったです。　魚の種類の名前は分からないのですけど、映画の「フアインディング・ニモ」の魚が沢山いました！　生で熱帯魚を見たのは生まれて初めてでしたので感動しました。　魚のほかに自然のタコやウニも初めて見ました！　なんとタコを二匹素手で捕まえる所も間近で見ました！　夕日も日の出ももちろん最高の景色でした。　絶境と言えばもう一つ凄いものを見ました。　それは生まれて初めて見たフナ虫の大群でした。　フナ虫は刺さったり噛んだりしないから大丈夫と皆言いましたけどさすがにあれだけ沢山いると気味悪かったです。

後、蚊にもたくさん刺され、そういう点ではだいぶ大変でしたけど、全体的には最高のキャンピングでした！　役場の皆さん、ありがとうございます！

Most people in Motoyama are always surprised when I tell them that I have never seen an ocean while I was in Canada. Toronto is relatively located in central Canada, so although we have the benefit of being close to the Great Lakes, it would take hours on a plane to go to a coast on the west or east side. I have only gone swimming in the ocean twice in my life. The first time I went to a beach in Hokkaido, but there was recently a typhoon that passed by and the water was inevitably very dirty. The second time I was about 16, I went to Cuba on a school/music related trip. The Cuban beach was beautiful but there were no fish or sea creatures that I remember seeing. On the other hand, what I will forever remember what I saw in the coral reefs of Okinoshima. The water was as clear as glass and there were tropical fish that I have only seen in books and tourist pamphlets. To be honest I could not tell you the names of any of these fish, but I COULD tell you that many of them I saw were in the movie “Finding Nemo”. I was also lucky enough to see sea urchins and octopi for the first time in my life! I also got to see a man catch two Octopi with his bare hands (which he said he would later eat). So while we are on the subject of things I have never seen before, there was one more shocking thing I saw: thousands of “Funamushi”. My colleagues ensured me that these bugs that got as big as about the size of your thumb were harmless, but I could not help but feel a little disturbed due to the fact that they were everywhere.

Regardless of the Funamushi and the 20 or so mosquito bites I got it was still a fantastic camping trip that I will never forget. I would like to thank the people from the Motoyama Public office for taking me!