Today was bittersweet. On one hand, it was one of the best days I have had here yet. On the other, we are leaving bright n (kind of) early tomorrow. It takes a lot for a place to not make me want to return home, but I do not want to leave Bermuda. I’ll shut up now though, there will be another whole blog post devoted to how much I loved this class… now on to today’s events!
In the morning we returned to the aquarium for a behind-the-scenes tour! We were taken around the aquarium and zoo and told many backstories and history of both species and specific animals. We got to watch Lynn, the director of aquarium tours and a friend of Bruce’s, feed a longtail!
Juvenile longtail
Longtail eating a fish
We also got to tour around the zoo and hear about the animals in their various exhibits (like Madagascar, the Caribbean and Australasia). The aquarium tour ended around 12:30, and we zipped back to BIOS as we had a 1PM date with a BIOS boat that took us out to North Rock!
The boat ride was around 45 minutes (it would have been longer in a different boat, but this one was nice and speedy), and after a gorgeous, warm ride out to sea we found ourselves out at North Rock!
The reefs around North Rock seem endless! Maybe it is just because North Rock is one of Bermuda’s premier snorkeling spots, but the fan and brain corals seem so much bigger than those closer to shore. Things we spotted while out there: some massive black groupers (who, we learned at the aquarium, are super territorial), a really big parrotfish, a sea turtle!! (not sure what species as it sped away from us), a cowfish, bunch of trumpetfish, sergeant majors, grunts… the list goes on. The turtle was cool though.
The ride back was just as lovely as the ride out- no wind, clear skies, warm breeze… it was literally the perfect last afternoon. I just didn’t want it to end.
But, sadly, it did, so upon getting home to BIOS, we cleaned up and headed back to the Swizzle Inn for another great and hearty dinner. Now all that is left is to pack up and head home in the AM. Gonna be a slightly depressing day, but we are all big boys and girls and will make the most of it. At least, I hope I do!