Besides the actual school and community work that I am supposed to be doing here, I came into this Peace Corps experience with two main goals. Goal one: climb a coconut tree (check). Goal two: spearfish all the time. I have been unable to spearfish at my site for one main reason. When an important person dies in Chuuk, they have ritual funeral observances. As part of the culture, a “mechen” is put up and entrance into the water is forbidden. No swimming, no fishing, no nothing. I leave in an island paradise surrounded by picturesque coral reefs and clear water, however I am restricted from interacting with it. It’s like someone putting a plate of delicious food in front of you and saying, “ You cant eat this”. It can be frustrating sometimes. This time period of funeral observances can vary depending on the individual who died, but it can extend for up to three months. Unfortunately, during my first 6 months on Fefan, a few important people died. As a result, we have had “mechen” almost the whole time that I have been year. Just last week, the mechen was finally raised and the sea was once again open for business!
Finally I was allowed to dive into these crystal clear waters and try to impale little fishies with a spear. I admire spear fishing for a variety of reasons, but I mainly appreciate the manliness of it. It just seems like the most badass way to catch a fish. Me and my spear against the fish. No tricks, no technology, just man vs. nature.
The spears used here in Chuuk are rather simple. It is a singular metal rod with a sharpened tip on one end and a notched end on the other. A piece of large rubber band called “coobie” is tied together with a loop of string that acts as the propulsion for the spear. You hold the spear in one hand with your thumb in the loop of the rubber band. Your other hand is tightly holding the string loop on the notched end of the spear. When you are ready to shoot, you release your back hand and open the palm of your hand on the spear. Whoosh! The spear rockets zips through the water towards the unsuspecting fish and you are left with the rubber band in your hand and a skewered fish on the spear.
In America, sometimes spears are three pronged and have attached rubber bands. But this is Chuuk. We do things simple around here. It is not uncommon for spears to be made from scrap metal pieces salvaged from cars or other machinery. As long as its sharp and straight, then it’s A ok. I bought myself a couple single prong spears with the hope that I will make spear fishing a regular habit. I figured that if I bought two, then it would increase my chances of getting someone to come along with me.
After the mechen was lifted, one of the local teenagers came by and asked if I wanted to go out on the reef and spearfish with him. Of course I did! This was the chance I had been waiting for. I have a bag of brand new fins, mask and snorkel that have been sorely neglected in this water world that I live in. I swooped up my gear, slapped on some sunscreen and hurried my way down to the dock. It is standard practice in Chuuk to bring some food along with you when you go fishing. We packed up a Tupperware of rice, some soy sauce, some hot sauce and a chunk of pounded breadfruit wrapped in leaves. The food is designed to be accessories for the sashimi that we expect to feast upon on the boat.
Down at the dock, I hopped in a boat with a couple of other guys and we paddled a little ways on the reef. A large group of kids were swimming around the dock and piled onto our boat to hitch a ride around. We were soon a floating playground for more than a dozen little kids. After we got to a good spot, I left the kids to their own amusements and flung myself into the warm water.
It had been months since I had been in the water and I had almost forgotten the magnificent beauty of ocean life. The coral reefs are alive with color and overflowing with fascinating spectacles. There is a wondrous array of coral with life bursting from every crevice. Oftentimes, people mistake coral for rocks and forget that they are really living animals. However, one would be hard stretched to mistake this display of vibrant life for mundane rocks. Coral comes in all shapes and sizes. Some of the coral looks likes hundreds of fingers trying to press through a rubber balloon, but cant get past the first knuckle. Other coral looks like huge lumpy yellow brains billowing on top of each other. At the base of these humungous brains are branch like formations that look like small leafless trees punctuated with tiny holes. Shades of reds, yellows, blues, greens, purples and all the colors of the rainbow streak across these miniature animals. The polyps pile on top of each other and form remarkable configurations of intricate patterns.
The coral is only one part of the reef system. The more amazing part is the abundance of life that swarms around these underwater wonderlands. Fish of every imaginable type are fluttering about as they nibble on the tips of the coral upshots. Some have stripes, some have spots, some have dots, some have swirls, and some have whirls. The fantastic colors of the fish are the only thing that can outshine the marvelous coral reefs.
Although the coral reefs are wonderful to behold, I was not down there to observe the scenery. I was in the water for a reason. That was reason to catch me some fish. I soon realized that spearfishing is not very easy. In fact, it is really hard! Time after time I would have my spear aimed at a small aquatic creature and release my hurtling spear with the expectation that it would strike him it his belly, but it would miss. The fish would squiggle out of the way at the last moment. He would feel the vibrations of my quivering spear and zoom off in the opposite direction. Even when I would have my spear tip within a few feet of the prey, they would still find a way to escape. I was playing in the fishes home court, and they were winning.
By the end of the day, I had only caught a couple little reef fish that were smaller than my hand. We eagerly grubbed these morsels of raw fish along with a few others on the boat, then a throng of naked little boys came clawing after our leftovers. My first spear fishing expedition was a failure numerically, however it was a huge success in other respects. I finally broke the barrier and achieved one of my goals. I will continue to work on my spear fishing skills and hopefully will soon be a pro.
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