Today was filled with adventure despite the stress of schoolwork. We had gone on a dive at Dairy Bull reef earlier in the morning and saw a sea turtle. Back on dry land we began to feel the heat of assignments and upcoming exams. To cool off we ventured out on a dive in the afternoon. Our professor Brad told us about a cavern that had a unique feature, so we headed there to see what it had to offer us. We rounded up a bunch of divers and made a speedy getaway to our location. With all of us geared up, we began our descent and made our way towards the cavern. As we were approaching, the sunlight that was trickling down on us became obscured. I looked up in shock to find massive fish larger than my head circling around us. Bermuda Chubs were schooling all around us trying to see what we were and if we brought any treats for them. My fear melted away into awe as I watched these monstrous fish dance around us. They were so close that I was able to reach out and touch them as they swam past.

Our new friends, the Bermuda Chub (Kyphosus sectatrix)

The Chubs followed us on our journey to the secret spot my professor was raving about. At 50ft down there was a birdbath with benches in a circle that were anchored to the bottom. In the birdbath was a collection of bottles that were weighed down, so they wouldn’t float away. It was as if someone knew we were headed there and left out some refreshments for us. My friends and I decided it was the perfect place to relax from all our hard work and had ourselves a drink.

Here’s to a great day in Jamaica

-Siobhan