Sometimes, you don’t have to go too far for amazing things.

Today I got to see a fully grown sting ray that measured about five and half feet. I was very impressed when I saw it, but I kept my cool and snorkeled at a safe distance from it. I was glad Marissa was my snorkeling buddy because she has a lot more experience in the water than me. So that made me feel a little more confident around the sting ray. It was a truly amazing experience. In the same spot, we also got to see another big fish that was about two feet long. We did not know what it was, but we were determined to figure it out. So after lunch, we went to the classroom and search for it in the reef fish identification book. It turns out that this fish was a Mutton snapper. We concluded this based on the size/color of the fish and a distinctive black spot on the midbody line of the fish: among other physical characteristics. It was a really fun experience, and it all happened a few feet away from the docks: near the helicopter landing site.

Sting rays aren’t that scary if you don’t get too close.

• Gabriel