Our time on paradise island is almost over and we’re all
trying to get the most of the time we have left.

I just went on my first dive as a certified diver at Rio
Bueno.  Now that I have a little more
control over myself and I’m not flipping out over kicking someone in the face
every time I move, I saw a lot more than just coral.  Finally saw my first flamingo tongue snail,
which Ian pointed out to me.  Of course,
I poked it, and the spots moved!  People
make fun of me for touching everything, but there’s something to be said for
it.

Last night, I might have gone overboard with poking
defenseless creatures.  We went out for a
night snorkel.  We didn’t see that much,
but it was a really fun time.  We saw two
octopuses sidling along, walking like crazy monster creatures.  I poked the second one and it hid in the
rocks and wouldn’t come out anymore.  We also
saw three balloon fish and I poked them all, but none of them would puff
up.  After I kind of beat down the last
one, I figured maybe they don’t puff up at night. [Ed: The instructors do not encourage or condone the beat down of any marine creatures.]

Allegra and I also went out to the reef crest after lunch.

Allegra took a picture of me poking something.

Can you see the flounder? 
This is after I poked it and made it run away and shake the sand off of
it.

– Sarah S.