A Disappointing Start, A Stressful End

This morning the certified divers were hoping to get a chance to dive after making it through our checkout dives yesterday but unfortunately, we awoke to some gusty winds. After seeing the waves crashing over the reef crest, it was decided to call it quits and forget the dive. Instead, we snorkeled and started our data collections with our groups. After spending the past couple days being afraid to touch anything on the reef, it was a strange experience to begin collecting the organisms. Lectures began not long afterwards and were completed this evening. It’s amazing to think that we’ve already finished and made our way through the material in this short amount of time. Cramming begins now as we prepare for exams on this coming Monday. So far, I would easily say this is the best experience I’ve ever been given the opportunity to explore.

After not being able to dive, I snorkeled in the morning and saw this Elliptical Star Coral (Dichococenia stokes) for the first time.

Kayleigh