Catching them barehanded was too much work. One slip and they got away. He figured that after going back aboard and resting, he would bring a hand net to make things easier.
He did not think only one pot in the string would get stuck. When they continued hauling them in, there would definitely be others, and with so much seafood on the seabed, he would certainly have to dive again. But first, he needed to fill his mesh bag.
Catching things with his own hands felt completely different. It was much more exciting than catching them in pots, and more fun, too. If he had not been underwater, he would have been even more excited.
But the small green lobsters were too lively and could dart about. Catching them took time and far too much energy. His stamina was limited, and constantly chasing them was not worth it. He decided to look for sea cucumbers first and pry off some abalone along the way.
The seabed here was sand and silt, suitable for sea cucumbers.
But there were plenty of rocks around, large and small, pointed and round, in every strange shape imaginable. He thought it was because of the recent earthquake that they were scattered everywhere. Even broken coral lay on the sand and silt.
There were also broad stretches of submerged reefs where fishing nets could not catch anything. Perhaps this terrain was why the place had become a refuge for small green lobsters.
He searched the area carefully and spotted two sea cucumbers ahead, crawling along the surface of the sand and silt. They looked a little like giant caterpillars and moved extremely slowly.
They had fallen right into his lap.
He picked up the two, only to spot another one ahead in a seaweed thicket-or