Making friends with a sea biscuit. Photo by Gillian.

This morning, my classmates and I woke up at 3am or earlier to catch our 6:30am flight. I should have been tired, but on the plane I just couldn’t sleep. It was a four-hour flight, but it felt like a few minutes. I was running on my excitement the entire day. After a tour and orientation at the facility, I joined Dr. Warren and a group of students. It was my first time snorkeling, and my first time seeing a reef outside an aquarium. We only swam inside the reef to get used to our gear, but it my first brush was breath taking. Since our swim was at 5pm, the visibility wasn’t great, but it was amazing. There’s life in every corner; the more closely you look the more you see.

Some things I learned about snorkeling: One. No one looks dignified in snorkel gear and it’s a great equalizer. Two. You will get very, very familiar with the taste of salt water. Three. You will never want to get out of the water.

That night, my classmates and I crashed once our heads hit our pillows. And I couldn’t wait for the next day.

-Alyssa