Yellow Ray
We staggered sleepily out of our cabins as the sun rose, showing promise for a bright day ahead, full of snorkeling and fun in the sun. We had a typical morning of breakfast and pooling all of our fish data, and then we set off in the boats for our deepest snorkel yet, ranging from 20-40 feet. Here the reef came alive with large schools of fish, moray eels and an ominous fire coral. A few of us were lucky enough to encounter a group of 10-20 squid idling in the water, changing colors and showing no fear as we floated above and periodically dove down to get a closer look.
For our afternoon snorkel we participated in a worldwide coral-watch project. The project began in Australia with the Great Barrier Reef and has now spread around the world to include reefs in all oceans. For the project, we were given a card with a color scheme that allowed us to evaluate the coral and determine the level of bleaching that is occurring in that area of the reef. We spent about 45 minutes matching the colors and identifying the coral types. Once we return to Colby the data will be entered into the worldwide data base and our data will be officially used in coral studies.
Donkey Dung
Wasting no warm tropical weather, around 8 PM we jumped back into the water for a final dive. This time it was completely dark with the exception of a handful of dive lights illuminating only a small sliver of the path ahead. This dive by far was one of the most exhilarating (or anxiety-inducing for some) adventures that we have experienced thus far at South Water Caye. We had flounders floating up out of the sand beneath us, spiny lobsters frolicking in the seaweed next to us, and spotted moray eel slivering past our feet. Despite any feelings of anxiety, Alex and Cam couldn’t resist the opportunity to fling a donkey dung sea cucumber at Kellie and Hannah as they swam by. In addition, there were schools on schools of tiny blue fish nibbling at every inch of our bodies. At the end of the dive, Peter instructed us to turn off our lights, leaving us in the darkness of the ocean and whatever may lie within it. Though at first we had our doubts, Cam soon realized that clapping under the water sparked instantaneous bursts of blue-bioluminescence. It was a perfect end to a busy but fulfilling day in the tropical waters of Belize.
Only four more days until we return to the states- see you all soon!
Cat and Hannah