Hey friends!

As our third full day in the Caribbean rolls quietly past, the dust of our arrival has finally begun to settle. Routines have formed, studying has returned, and the adversity of an unfamiliar environment has solidified the friendships started only a few days prior. As the group becomes more cohesive, we have been able to learn and experience more which is a great aspect of this course. 

A small update on my day:
As a diver in training, my day started with a bombardment of quizzes and exams as we completed the classroom portion of our Open Water course. Afterwards, we were whisked up the lush, bumpy mountainside to the locale of our first confined water dive. In a swimming pool overlooking Discovery Bay, we learned skills ranging from water entry to replacing and emptying a lost mask while remaining underwater. All the while, our instructors encouraged, helped, and teased us. After finishing the first two confined dives, we returned to the lab to hear lectures on ecology and fish before a long session of seagrass scraping and Metallica, a surprisingly good combination.

– Joe –

A snorkeler's eye view of DBML

Lesser Electric Ray (Narcine brasiliensis)