One of the (only) good pictures from today, a few Giant Anemones (Condylus gigantean) and some Rock Boring Urchins (Echinometra lucanter).

It’s our second full day in Jamaica, and we’re slowly starting to get into the routine. The certified divers suited up for their checkout dive, and it was the first day of training for the DITs, and they were incapacitated for the whole day in order to squeeze in all of the coursework needed for scuba certification. A couple of others went with Prof. Peterson to set out the BRUV we set up yesterday. This left a good five of us with some free time before lunch, and we all decided to snorkel and see what we could find for our collections, especially in such a beautiful, warm sunny day.

The water began very calm, but as the tides began to change and the wind began to pick up, us snorkelers were stuck fighting currents and trying not to get washed onto the reef crest or into any Diadema! Nevertheless, it was a very productive snorkel, as the water remained clear and visibility was good. We even saw an octopus! In broad daylight! I hope all snorkels (and dives, when I’m certified) are as productive as this one, and hopefully I can start naming all the fish, invertebrates, and coral in a blink!

-Deana