Quote Originally Posted by LivinInThe603 View Post
the big take away for me is to swim within the designated, roped-off area... is that right?
Yes, that is the big take away. If you are swimming near the shore, stay inside the swimming zone.

If you are snorkeling by the reef, be sure to do so with a snorkel operator who can keep watch over all the snorkelers. Same goes for scuba diving.