"If you want fish, go to the ...

We went to Alcudia on a family holiday this year, and spent a lot of the time around the pool watching Aimee enjoy her swimming. One day, we decided we would take a boat trip from the ones at the harbour. There was only one that appealed - which was essentially a glass bottom boat. We took it because we thought Aimee would enjoy seeing the fish, and it was relatively short. It was around €42 for the three of us. Not a huge amount, but not that cheap for a two hour trip.

The boat was a catamaran, and both sides of each hull had rather short windows in them. There wasn't a lot of space considering the number of people on board. We had a quick look downstairs, and there wasn't anything to see. We spent around 30 minutes picking people up from other piers along the coast and then headed off. Periodically we would check downstairs; nothing to see. Never mind, plenty of time yet. We went out around the coast for quite some time, travelling at a fair lick so there again, was nothing to see. Finally we stopped briefly (a minute or two at a time in a few coves). I saw one fish, and the seaweed on the bottom. Aimee, who you will recall was the reason for the trip saw no fish at all. The whole journey was just viewing a blue rectangle. The only life visible most of the time were people in the other hull also looking for something. Well that was it. and back to port.

Now Karen and I have been on a submarine, and I think "submarine vision" was kind of pushing it, so Karen went to complain at the desk. The girl explained the manager was not available, and another man in the booth laughingly said "you didn't pay for the fish". Uh, but we did, and I think from the poster, it's clear we did. I'm a diver, and have spent many hours on boats, I'm not that excited about them to pay for a two hour round trip.

The next day Karen got the hotel reception to call the manager, one "Toni Capllonch Alenyar". He wouldn't speak to her at all, referring conversation through his receptionist. After lots of nonsense including putting the phone down on us (causing our angry receptionist to phone him straight back), he eventually relayed through his receptionist "If you want fish, go the Caribbean". Another hang up, after which they no longer answered the phone.

So we saw more fish at the beach than we did on the "Submarine Vision" trip, and given the reply, it looks a bit like a deliberate deception, but hey, take his advice, I've been to the Caribbean, and they know how to do trips to see fish. For that matter I'd avoid his other trips too, maybe they aren't quite as they are advertised either. I've at least had the pleasure of depriving them of some more business.