A very sunny day 3 at Discovery Bay Marine Lab began with my roommate Sumo using his finely tuned internal alarm clock to wake up about 4 minutes before our 7:30 a.m. breakfast was served. Why not use an alarm clock you ask? Well, our good friend Ian brought an alarm clock that seemed to have been purchased at a store which sells objects used to prank people. For some strange reason, for every hour that passed in our world, the alarm clock loses 10 minutes! Instead we rely on someone in the room waking up before 7:30 a.m. on their own and then waking the other roommates up: an obviously fool proof plan.

After devouring a tasty Jamaican breakfast, our class separated into a group of snorkelers and a group of SCUBA divers. As a SCUBA diver, I grew more and more excited as the time until my first dive, since 2008, came closer with every second. We loaded up the boat with the help of our local Divemaster Anthony: A man whose diving experience is only exceeded by his kindness and relaxed Jamaican demeanor. When we finally reached our diving site known as Dairy Bull, my heart raced with anticipation. The dive group was composed of Max, Bryan, Ian, Debbie, Nicole and myself, along with Anthony and our two professors Joe and Brad (who by the way have hearts of gold and who can teach as well as Usain Bolt can run). Anyway, flattery aside, the dive was absolutely amazing! Having the chance to feeling like aqua man, even for a short time, is every boy’s dream to some extent. Within five minutes of entering the crystal clear water, we were approached by a curious yet potentially dangerous stingray. As it glided gracefully just above the ocean floor, I gazed in amazement. The dive site exceeded my expectations as we were also fortunate enough to encounter the legendary Lionfish. A fish whose beautiful exterior should not be mistaken for harmlessness, as it is one of the only organisms that we will see here at Discovery Bay that could seriously injure someone! However, safety precautions explained by trusty Joe and Brad allowed us to feel out completely safe and appreciate the creature’s magnificence.

 
A lionfish, the King of the Jungle, and by Jungle I mean Reef [Photo by Joe]

As night arrived at this piece of paradise, some brave souls gathered and ventured off into the night in search of some adventure. We made the difficult one minute trek down to the dock area and gazed at the stars in peaceful serenity. However, there is something in the air down here, a sort of energy that brings excitement to all that encounter it. As you can see, it was not too long before the group circled around a violent fight that broke out between two sworn enemies. Just kidding, it was just Max and I attempting to imitate something out of Cirque de Sole and me hoping that Max doesn’t drop me on my head. The night ended with a deep sleep dreaming of tomorrow’s adventures.

 
The circus is in town and everyone is watching!

– Josh