(Which I forgot to publish amongst the rush of packing bags and preparing to leave)
This morning, we revisited the aquarium for a behind-the-scenes tour. Our tour guide told us all about the many species of fish, and taught us way more than we could have learned from just reading the short info cards next to each tank. She also let us see the seabirds she was rehabilitating and the quarantine process that fish go through before going on display in the aquarium.
At lunchtime, we headed out on a faster-than-usual boat to North Rock, the location of the northernmost coral reefs in the world. There was no wind for the first time since we’ve been on Bermuda, and the sun was warm and refreshing, making the 11 mile trip out very enjoyable. Once we arrived, I was amazed at the glass-like clarity of the water and eagerly jumped in!
We saw more fish than any of the other times we have gone snorkeling on this trip at North Rock!! I was amazed by a giant grouper, who changed colors several times in response to our uninvited presence on his reef (we learned during our tour at the aquarium that groupers changed colors based on their mood and are highly territorial). We also swam above a sea turtle, but it swam away before we could get a picture with the underwater camera.
We then proceeded to swim farther away from the boat (perhaps too far) to explore deeper waters. Amazingly, we encountered a swath of warm water that seemed to be an eddy of the Gulf Stream. It was filled with larvae and at least 10°F warmer than the surrounding water. Then, when we looked up, we saw that the boat was much farther away than we realized and began swimming back. It was a long swim, but luckily the current helped us along in the right direction!
I could not imagine a better day than this one to top off this amazing time in Bermuda! Even the seasickness that I suffered after snorkeling couldn’t dampen my spirits after experiencing so many amazing things in such a short time. Unfortunately, it’s now time for me to pack my bags and leave… but hopefully one day I’ll be back!