goody...great report! and lucky you to have had two days with capt. bicho! he's going to be kept extremely busy with all the publicity he's getting here...and all the deserved praise! like you...it was the highlight of our trip too!

i was very upset to read about the people walking on the reef at hol chan...that is inexcusable! there are sites like tres cocos where the reef/coral is very near the surface and you must take care not to touch it when snorkeling. besides the danger to the snorkelers from things like fire coral and sharp edges that can cut, visitors should be aware of the fragility of the reefs...and there's no excuse for the tour operators not insuring that their clients understand this and are stopped if they don't stay off the reef. they should be fined big!!

anyway...i'm happy for you that you got to experience all of it and have those great memories to keep forever!