This is the view of the surrounding area from the poolside.

Today I completed my pool section of my SCUBA certification. From 8:00 am to 3:30 pm I learned and practiced essential techniques that will be used during the next two days during my four open water dives. At the end of the lesson our instructor had a competition to retrieve the most coins on the pool floor, which my partner and I won and as a reward we were promised a jerk chicken dinner from an authentic Jamaican restaurant. As a student of the marine sciences, I look forward to receiving my certification in order to explore the seas and broaden my horizons.

• Horia