15 Jan AM – Reef walls and Research

Photo 1
Leaving for Rio Bueno

Friday morning (boy, who thought it would be Friday again already?) we made a boat trip to Rio Bueno, a nearby harbor, where we got to dive along a reef wall. The water was unusually calm today, so despite the relatively long ride and the fact that most of the class went along nobody seemed to get too sick. While the snorkelers spent time on the service, the divers dropped down to a 60 foot depth, which seemed like nothing due to the clarity of the water, despite visibility reportedly being relatively poor today. We formed a line and took a quick tour of the wall, seeing many of the species of coral and sponges we learned about last week, as well as a few fish rarely seen in the lagoon at Discovery Bay such as groupers. The instructors also caught a few large lionfish with the spear gun, which later became lunch.

Photo 2
Rio Bueno surface

Photo 3
Part of the reef wall from above

Photo 4
Amber hunts the mighty lionfish

Over all the trip was a lot of fun, and definitely one of the more relaxing dives we’ve done so far. We were hoping to see some turtles while we were there, but had no luck in that department today. Hopefully we’ll get some more chances to go out on the boat if the weather stays calm in the mornings. As for the rest of the day, we’ve been hard at work on our research projects. In my case, this means I’m currently due to scrape the algae off some turtle grass to prep it for a grazing experiment. I’m sure there will be plenty more on the research everyone’s doing in the days to come.

-Kevin

 

16 thoughts on “15 Jan AM – Reef walls and Research

  1. Much clearer than L.I.Sound! I never knew you could eat lionfish. Does it taste like chicken?? (Only kidding.) Kev, what a great experience to have Rio Bueno as your classroom field trip. Enjoy the time you have left.

  2. Glad to hear it’s calmed down a bit.How do you safely clean a Lion Fish? Large Groupers must be cool to see. It sounds like you guys are having a great experience.

  3. After experiencing diving in such clear water LI Sound will never seem the same. Enjoy the experience.

  4. It looks so cloudy there! We’re praying for clear skies and little/ no wind for you this week. Glad you enjoyed Rio Bueno!

  5. Have you seen any blue tangs or parrot fish? Pretty wild how 60 feet can seem so effortless. Hope a turtle makes an appearence. It all sounds great! Especially when it’s 10 degrees outside.

  6. Hi Kevin,
    It seems the water is much clearer than Nassau. You can really see more vivid colors and more fish.
    Next you have to convince your dad to go to Key West where the visablity is also clear.
    Bob

  7. Hi Kevin,
    Diving Jamaica looks great. I’m sure you’re getting some good views of the reef inhabitants.(Don’t eat them all …leave some for the next Dinner,(I mean Diver)
    expedition.
    Enjoy the tropical waters!
    Jan

  8. Hey Kev,
    You don’t even know how jealous I am of the warm Jamaican weather. Going back to school to 1 degree weather tomorrow just got harder after reading this blog. Hope you see some sea turtles! Keep on enjoying every minute of it!
    – Katie

  9. Hi Kevin…
    Totally cool!
    The sun and sand look great, especially when compared to the sub-zero temps we had here in Maine this morning. But be sure to email us a PDF of your final report when you’re done, so we can see what you’ve “really” been doing.
    -Robert Grobe-

  10. Hi Kevin,
    Your whole course and trip sound wonderful. Look forward to seeing lots of photos and hearing about your research project. The diving must be awesome.
    We had -2 degrees F. yesterday morning and a whopping 2 above this morning here in Midcoast Maine.
    Donna

  11. Hey Kev, We are all jealous of being “weightless in that water.” We know more about outer space than we do about the undersea world. Relatively few get to experience it. Congratulations Kev!

  12. Kevin, I can’t believe it!I know you’re daring your Dad to clean some lionfish for dinner. What a great experience! Treasure it! I am so jealous! Enjoy!
    Regards,
    Tom Sieminski

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