The best I could ever ask for, that’s what! This trip has been going along wonderfully. Once I figured out the problem with my mask was simply not enough de-fogger in my mask, I could snorkel and dive much more smoothly. I have greatly enjoyed every excursion we’ve done, from watching our professor impaling invasive Lionfish to going on a very successful scavenger hunt to find as many things as we could to climbing a waterfall to measuring transects in water way too shallow for my liking (during which some of us got “charged” by a Spotted scorpionfish… jeez that was scary!)… Man this trip has been such a blast so far! I cannot wait to share my experience with other people in person, and I am certain this will be a time to remember!

Our professor impaling a Lionfish (they make a great lunch!)

Andrew H.

Yesterday we went to Dunns River Falls in Ocho Rio. The park fulfilled our craving for outside excitement and adventure aside from all of the snorkeling and SCUBA diving we’ve all gotten to accomplish — it was the perfect mix of water, adventure, and land for everyone. While at the falls we ran around for some time up the river with heavy, hard hitting water trying to wash us away. Many of us left with shoes filled with gravel, or stomachs filled with water. The funniest part was that Sydney almost lost her swim suit while trying to climb up the hardest part of the falls, where water practically stripped her down but, she was successful at surfacing with all the right parts covered. Overall it was a really great time.

After going to the falls, we all gathered back into the bus and went into town for our trip to Ocho Rio. I think all of us were excited to go and experience the market, get souvenirs and try to adapt to Jamaican culture. There was some street music accompanied with the street merchants trying to haggle you on some of their crafts. Paul, I have to say, was THE BEST at bargaining with the locals to get the best price. Everyone seemed pretty content to be back on the bus going back to Discovery Bay.

Above, is Fay, Nick and I after we conquered Dunn’s River Falls.

This past week has been really exciting and I’d have to say the best parts were Rio Bueno (a snorkel/ dive spot) and Dunns River Falls. A highlight of Rio Bueno was getting to get some pretty clear pictures of fan coral, and feasting on some lionfish Professor Warren caught for lunch. I also learned how to remove the scales off of a fish pretty easily, so my dad will be excited to have a fish cooking partner once the weather is nicer on Long Island this summer.

This is one of my best pictures from the trip— my fan coral picture! (see mom I told you the quality of the camera was THIS good!)

Room 2 is sad today because Sharmila is leaving with Dr. Amber, a scientist whose joined in on the professors research project here at Discovery Bay. However, in order to have one last hurrah, we all stayed up the latest we all have this trip (12am) and enjoyed a night full of gossiping about our lives, and getting to know each other more. Some true roommate bonding.

This morning we all snorkeled and SCUBA dived again and some people reported back to have seen a sea turtle but I sadly didn’t see it. Pretty exciting though!

This Jamaica trip has really been incredible, and I will say traveling to a foreign country, AND flying alone both for the first time was really scary at first and I tried to mask my fear, but this trip has made me much more comfortable discovering new things. I’m sad that in just 5 days I’ll be sitting on a bus on the way to an airport right about now going back to the cold weather. My parent will definitely not be happy about how much I’ll depend on my space heater the first few days back as I acclimate to the cold of New York. All in all, I will be excited to be back in my bed surrounded by my family and friends, and not get any mosquito bites for the next few months, even if it isn’t Discovery Bay and 80 degrees.

Adios Jamaica!
(Hopefully see you soon!)
Kelly

Our time here in Jamaica has been fun, but intense. We’ve been having about two lectures a day, in out of the water, and there’s a lot to study. We’re also working on identification projects; compiling our photos of reef creatures and algae and learning their scientific names (Abudefdef saxatillus might be my favorite fish). We’re in a beautiful place, but it’s no beach day. Saturday was different, though. The day started with a brief storm and choppy waters (not good for diving or snorkeling) and we were set to head out to Dunn’s river waterfall and Ocho Rios in the afternoon. So, what are us students to do but pass the time with volleyball?

The volley court right outside our dorms.

Not all of us are athletes, but we had fun anyway. I was even given pointers from people who knew what they were doing. We had to constantly retrieve the ball from the hilly mangroves; that became a game itself. I have been studying next to my classmates for a week now, but here I had the opportunity to bond with people outside of my roommates. We played until were sweating and tired, but we didn’t want to stop. We had a nice break yesterday, and I as I type this we are studying by the water, ready for learning research techniques.

– Alyssa

Yesterday we went to Dunn’s River Falls. The class had the most amazing time climbing up the rocks and cooling off in the fresh water. One of our professors had a little too much fun at the kiddie pool.

Here’s a picture of Dr. Warren, collecting data and acoustics at the local water parks.

I had a great time exploring with my roommates in Ocho Rios. We visited a few shops and got food in town. It has been an amazing experience having roommates, as I am a commuter student and have never lived in a dorm.

A silly pose from room 6!

One of my favorite parts of this experience is being able to wake up every day and choose the adventure you want to take. Whether it be take a boat ride out to see some distant reefs, stay close to the lab and study the shallow waters, or spend time in the conference room studying. Our group has turned into one giant group of 19 best friends, and I couldn’t ask for a better way to spend my time here at discovery bay. We share snacks, help each other study, and stay up late telling stories. We will remember this experience and the people we are spending it with for the rest of our lives, and for that I am grateful.

I also love talking to the locals learning about their culture, they are so kind. The ladies in the kitchen keep us well feed with the most delicious food, the security team keeps us safe, and the grounds crew and instructors are so filled with information and are teaching us so much. This place is amazing.

• Marshmallow

As a person who grew up in the warm tropics of Ghana, swimming has always been challenge that I struggled to learn and perfect, but my experience in Jamaica has helped me overcome this obstacle. I was able to overcome my struggles with swimming by interacting and learning from all the supportive people that embarked on this with me. For the first time in my life, I was able to swim with a school of fish and snorkeled in the open sea tens of feet deep.

First time snorkeling with buddy Lucas. Photo taken by Lucas

My first experience to snorkeling has also taught me different life skills. There were multiple occasions that my fear of drowning discouraged me from jumping into the sea, but the support from my new friends encouraged and emboldened me to take my first paddle. As a result of my first paddle, I was able to experience unbelievable and beautiful sceneries of different colorful corals, sponges, anemones, fishes etc. Most importantly, I had the opportunity to pet and swim with an upsidedown jelly fish (Cassiopea frondosa).

First day snorkeling and finding an upside jelly fish (Cassiopea frondosa). The jelly fish has a symbiotic relationship with an alga called zoozanthellae. These algae undergo photosynthesis and supply the jelly fish with nutrients whereas the jelly fish provides habitat and protection for the zoozanthellae.

This entire experience wouldn’t have come into fruition if hadn’t believed in myself and had the support of friends and professors. I have enjoyed every moment at the Discovery Bay Marine Lab so far and I hope to stretch my snorkeling skills and acquire more knowledge on the different marine organism sustained the coral ecosystem.

Paul , Pie

When I first applied for this study abroad, I did not expect to swim in water meters deep accompanied by great foot-long barracuda. I have done both! Yesterday morning, I began with a power run. I woke up at 6:43 am, meanwhile I’d agreed to be at the dock by 6:30 am. Oops! Imagine this, running by the dock to get my gear while I zip up my wetsuit I hastily put on while running down the stairs. Nothing beats the feeling of having a whole class cheer you on while the sun begins to rise. After getting my gear, and having a wet suit plastered onto my body, I boarded a boat and was taken some meters west to Rio Bueno. Rio Bueno is this small seaside village which overlooks a diverse coral reef. Here, I got to see beautiful tropical fish: such as fairy basslets, blue tang, and the infamous lion fish. Fun fact: Lionfish tastes amazing! (Thanks Joe!)

A picture of the caring fisherman, Joe, with cooked Lionfish. Yum!
[Prof note: Lionfish are an invasive species in Jamaica and divers are encouraged to spear them to reduce their population.]

What about the barracuda? Well, you see, I didn’t really know it was a barracuda. I’ve seen some really cool looking silvery long fish (ie. Needlefish). When I saw a foot-long fish, I had to snap a photo of it. When I got closer, I was like hmmmm… seems familiar. So, I took a photo of it. I am very glad I saw it right after lunch, the fish was able to pose for me. Needless to say, it was a great barracuda! When I realized that I chased a foot-long barracuda for a photo, I was shocked. Being able to see this amazing fish up close and personal is breath-taking and I can’t wait to see what else Discovery Bay’s coral reef has to offer.

A picture of the barracuda.

Today, in a beautiful turn of events on a rainy Saturday, we were all allowed to sleep in until breakfast at 9:30am. After breakfast, most of the class, including myself, played a few games of volleyball outside the dorms. After each point, our supportive teams would clap for the player who won the point. It was nice to see how close we’ve all become as friends in just six days. Soon after the volleyball games, we all rushed to lunch. Excited murmurs and wild laughter fill the cafeteria as we were all pumped to go on a trip today, specifically to the Dunn’s River Waterfall. We all packed up our stuff, and headed on a bus to right outside Ocho Rios.

The class starting to climb the waterfall at the very bottom.

We started at the bottom of the waterfall, right at the ocean. After taking a photo, we began our trek up. Through slips and slides, deep pools, rushing water, and slippery rocks, after about an hour of climbing over the 10-12 tiers and pools, we finally made it to the top of the Dunn’s River Waterfall. Feeling triumphant, some of us took a rest in the top pool, while other went again for one last climb up. Honestly, this was the most beautiful waterfall I’d ever seen and quite possibly the most fun I’d had in my entire life. I’m so glad I came to Jamaica. But wait- the fun wasn’t over yet. We hopped back up on the bus and ventured to the city of Ocho Rios!

The finishing sign of completion at the top of the falls.

In Ocho Rios, you will find a straw craft market that is much larger than it seems, where you can haggle for crafts and traditional Jamaican souvenirs. You will also find restaurants, clothing stores, a beach, and a lot of culture that most of us hadn’t experienced before. I spent most of my time buying crafts and souvenirs with my friends, walking all over looking for a haberdashery to no avail, and eventually sitting down to a rushed dinner with a group of us right before we had to go. All in all, I’d say we all had a pretty successful day.

The craft/straw market.

After breakfast, I suited up and swam to the mangroves. I slowed down to prevent sediment from getting kicked up from my fins, as I approached the mangroves. The cold water rushed from my head and down my body as I got closer. As I approached the first clump of mangrove roots, I explored the crevices in the rocks looking for anything small that would like to hide in it. Peering over the corner of a rock, I can see a small frillfin goby perched in a concave part of the rock. It didn’t scoot away as I approached it. I stuck my finger out and gave it a little pet on the head.

Frillfin goby perched on a rock.

It scooted away as I tried to pet it again. I tried to look for it again but instead of finding the goby, I found a common comet star. Andrew B. went back and got a bucket to bring it back to the wetlab for further observations.

Common comet star on the side of a rock.

– Lemon Lucas

Today our task was a scavenger hunt, we were given two and a half hours to go snorkeling and find as many things as we can so that we can come back and ID them with our group members. Within the first ten minutes I already had photos of at least 15 different things, many of which I didn’t even know what they were (I figured it out later). The real excitement kicked in when I swam over something that looked unusually lumpy so I dove down and saw it was an octopus (Octopus vulgaris). I was so excited I could barely keep my hand steady enough for a picture, but I ended up getting some pretty good shots. [Professor correction: GREAT shots!] I was able to get a picture right when I got close to it, another when it realized its cover had been blown, and one where it started to swim away; a pretty good succession. This was by far my favorite moment of the day!

Right when I got close.

When I was getting too close for comfort.

And when it decided to flee the scene.

Then I ran into a big barracuda (Sphyraena) and that enthusiasm turned into panic because of all the shiny things I had on (they are attracted to shiny things) so I quickly took everything off and shoved it into my wetsuit just as a precaution. I saw numerous amounts of other organisms, and ended up taking about 400 pictures just in those two or so hours. Then I spent another two hours with my group trying to ID everything we had gotten photos of, and the specimens we had collected and brought to the wet lab. Overall it was a very busy and exciting day, and I definitely have a bunch of species names embedded into my brain for good!

-Lea

My son and I after a nice snorkel! Photo creds: Kelly

The water has always been a big part of my life, and being on this trip to Jamaica has just amplified my love for everything in the ocean. Although I am a certified diver, these past two days I have been snorkeling instead of diving. Although you may not get as up close and personal with some marine life as you would diving, I have come to appreciate and really enjoy the relaxing activity of snorkeling (and I have been seeing some really cool stuff these past two days). Yesterday most of the class ventured over the reef crest. It wasn’t hard going out over the crest but coming back was whole other story (and I’ll get to that later). It was fun to dive underwater and try and get close to the coral and see all of the tiny fish that live inside. I was able to live my dream of being a mermaid and swimming in the big ol’ blue.

Getting back was hard, though. It started to become low tide and there were so many sea urchins all along the coral so it was kind of like going through a maze with sharp spines everywhere. You had to be really careful where you swam and you had to time it with the wave crashes so there would be enough water for you to actually make it over the rocks and urchins. It was nerve racking! But once we were over it was smooth sailing back to the dock. On the way back, I saw some really cool organisms. We saw a Yellow Stingray and someone found a small two-spined sea star, which I took back to the wet lab with me (I love him so much, he is my son). Today we snorkeled as well, and I saw a really cool Chained Moray Eel, which was the first eel I saw since I’ve been here. So overall, snorkeling has opened a world of amazing creature to me and I can’t wait to se what else is under the sea!

Signing off!
Julia