Today was the day of our two species identification exams (a photo ID exam and a practical ID exam in the wet lab), so I spent the majority of my day studying and getting prepared. Unfortunately, my studying was made impossible by this weird furry fish that sat on my notebook? Very strange.

The weird furry fish that stopped me from studying.

After a long day of work, and after the two exams were completed, I had my first night snorkel with a few friends. During this snorkeling trip, I was able to see many creatures I would not otherwise see during the day. We were able to see a massive spiny lobster, two yellow stingrays, a spotted eagle ray, and several nudibranchs. However, my favorite sighting of the day was a stunning red and blue octopus we spotted on our way back to the dock. It was understandably very afraid of us, so the only pictures we captured of it were unfortunately very blurry.

The octopus trying to evade us.

After finally conquering our first two exams, seeing these creatures felt very rewarding. I’m incredibly excited for more to come.

-Extra-Cheese Emilie

Another amazing day in Discovery Bay in the books! After a delicious breakfast, we set out to dive at M1. I went in a small group with Dr. Peterson in an attempt to complete our 100 ft deep dive for my Advanced Open Water certificate. The dive started amazingly, as I saw a huge eagle ray right at the beginning. Unfortunately, it was too far away for me to get a photo of, but it was an incredible sight regardless. The dive didn’t go exactly as planned, as one of our group struggled to equalize and had to ascend early. Still, I got all the way down to 75ft, the deepest I have ever been! We saw a number of incredible species, such as Flamingo Tongue, Creole Wrasse, and Fairy Basslet. The other group, led by Dr. Warren, killed a number of invasive Lionfish too. After the dive, we dissected some of the larger Lionfish. I even got to take a picture with one of the Lionfish!

Here’s a picture of me holding one of the smaller Lionfish!

After Dr. Peterson’s afternoon lecture on Ecological Thought, we spent the rest of the afternoon working on species identification, getting our total really close to 120. The class has flown by so far, but with over a week left, there’s still so much to do!

Serena

Today was a fun-filled day that included some great scuba and snorkeling sessions. After our group breakfast, the divers went to a dive called M1. Sadly, I did not have my camera with me on this dive, but we saw many cool things, including moray eels, flamingo tongues, and lionfish. I even had the chance to spearfish some lionfish which are invasive species in Jamaica, but I sadly missed him and he got away. Despite this, it was still really cool trying something new like this.

Later in the day, I went out snorkeling and found some cool fish too. The highlight was this giant balloon fish that I had to chase around for three minutes to catch. When I finally caught up to him, he went under a cave I could peek in and there was a Caribbean Spiny Lobster in there! It was too dark for me to photograph, nonetheless, it was a great find. We are a week away (I think) from the end of this amazing trip and I know that there are still more fun surprises and new species of fish I will soon find.

One of the pictures of the balloon fish I found as he was swimming away from me.

-Dr. Pepper Dan

oday is now the 5^th day in Jamacia and so far, it has been incredible, a much-needed change of pace from the classic school setting. Being able to snorkel around the entire reef practically at any given free moment is amazing and something I have tried to take full advantage of. So far, I have snorkeled about 2-3 times a day trying to explore all areas of the reef surrounding the lab. This is the first time I have been to the Caribbean since 2014 and certainly the first time I will be able to vividly remember the experience. Being able to see the reef and all the creatures living in it has been awesome it feels like a scavenger hunt to try and find as many different creatures looking in all the nooks and crannies for life. Taking pictures underwater has been challenging as it is a new skill to learn and something I wish to get better at in the future. I wish my camera battery lasted much longer than it currently does as I could be out there for hours upon hours on one snorkel session just exploring.

Learning to put on my gear and use it was mostly seamless besides my mask fogging up on the first day. Otherwise, I have taken to the water like a fish. One notable moment today snorkeling I got the pleasure to see a sea turtle swim by in deeper water near the lab, only to be startled moments later by what I believe to be a giant barracuda swimming off in the distance. As someone who enjoys to fish this was both a cool experience and saddening moment that I don’t have a rod and reel not that sad but always in the back of my head ha-ha. The actual process of learning to id the creatures and learn the scientific names have been challenging as many of these fish/ coral/ invertebrates / plants are foreign to me but it has not been completely unenjoyable. Another aspect of this trip that is foreign to me is having roommates this is the first time I have ever had to live with people I don’t know. So far, we all have all gotten to know each other and we get along well, and it has been stress-free.

Getting 3 meals a day cooked for us is another enjoyable aspect of this trip. Today we just got told what we will be doing as far as contributing to one of the ongoing science experiments which this will finally be my first-time having hands on experience in the field with research and it is exciting to be able to be a part of that. Looking forward to continuing the rest of the trip with a positive outlook and enjoying this weather that I must wait all year for back home especially since it may snow from what I’m hearing. I have had a couple of other favorite moments finding cool creatures, but a lot of pictures came out blurry. I have considered myself lucky up until this point to be able to be a part of this class.

One of the first large animals I spotted on the trip close by the lab scared me when I Initially saw it.

One of my favorite fish in the area and this one was kind enough to stay still and allow me to get a clear picture.

Easily one of the best parts of the trip to be able to wake up to this view every morning.

-Jaden

On day 7 of snorkeling in Jamaica, the transformation from my hesitant start on day 1 was remarkable. In the initial days, grappling with malfunctioning snorkel gear and acknowledging my limitations as a swimmer posed many challenges in reaching the reef crest. This struggle not only impeded my ability to navigate effectively but also restricted the diversity and quantity of species I could find. But now, the spectrum had broadened significantly. The reef was a tapestry of diversity, showcasing massive starlet corals standing tall, intricate brain corals nestled among vibrant finger corals, and the mesmerizing yet cautionary fire corals. Schools of parrotfish, angelfish, and colorful wrasses danced among the corals. The unidentified plant species added an air of mystery, their unique shapes and hues captivating our attention, prompting discussions and speculation among our group as we marveled at the sheer abundance and variety thriving beneath the surface. Here are some of the cool things I’ve seen so far:

Peacock flounder spotted by Tim and me.

Queen Conch spotted by Tim.

Balloonfish spotted by me.

Despite the breathtaking beauty, this experience has been challenging, pushing me well beyond my comfort zone. Confronting my fear of the ocean was a hurdle I needed to overcome, and though it’s been a rough couple of days, the sheer diversity of over 120 species of plants, fish, and invertebrates has been both awe-inspiring and overwhelming. Trying to memorize the scientific and common names of these numerous species has been daunting. It’s been a mental workout, and truthfully, I haven’t felt confident about my grasp on the course material. However, I’m striving to maintain a positive outlook, embracing each encounter as a chance to learn and grow, even amidst the uncertainty and occasional discomfort.

-Ariana

Yesterday was an exciting day for me. In the morning after breakfast, I went out snorkeling with a couple of friends. The waters were exceptionally calm making for clear views. We decided to visit the section of the reef by the mangroves.

A picturesque view of the calm waters off the dock.

As I snorkeled towards our destination, I excitedly spotted a Long-Spined Sea Urchin with had eluded me during my past snorkeling trips. Reaching the area near the mangroves, a huge diversity of organisms greeted me. The sunlight penetrated the water and made rainbows appear on the seafloor. A few brave fish stayed out in the sunlit waters, but most huddled under the protective shading of the reef. Venturing deeper into the mangrove roots the water became shaded. I could feel a noticeable dip in water temperature. The various crevices in the area were full of organisms. Midway through my trip among the mangrove roots I found a small group of Houndfish.

Some Houndfish (Tylosurus crocodilus) found among the roots of mangroves.

Further in and by squeezing through a small opening I found a small “cave”. There  many species of Damselfish guarding their territory peered back at me. As I was exiting, I saw a Damsel with a bite taken out of its side. The poor fish lost a fight.

­A Red Land Crab (Gecarcinus ruricola) scampering along the mangroves.

I’m excited for what another day snorkeling in Jamacia.
• Mooncake Michelle

We have been here for 4 days now. I woke up at 4 am for the flight, and 7 am every day since then for breakfast. It’s the earliest I’ve consistently woken up in a very long time but it’s been so fun I don’t want to miss a second. As I am typing this we are discussing snorkeling tomorrow at 6:30 to hopefully see some organisms that aren’t common during the day. The first day we snorkeled, my underwater camera flooded and broke so I couldn’t get a picture of the only spotted eagle rays I’ve seen so far. It’s been sitting in rice for 2 days now. Julia has been nice enough to let me borrow one of her 3 cameras (she came very prepared for this trip, also bringing ID books which have been extremely helpful).

I’ve never had roommates before but everyone here is so nice and I consider us all friends. It’s great having 3 roommates that scuba dive because I’m not certified yet. I’m learning about what they do, how they do it, and organisms they can see deeper than I do snorkeling. We have been snorkeling everyday, at least twice a day, in order to identify as many plants and animals we possibly can. We stayed up late last night in the conference room studying their scientific names, until the Canadian professor gave us a pep talk. We were reminded it’s not all about memorizing, but actually learning. After leaving we played with the marine lab’s stray kittens for a little while. Today after breakfast I took an hour to work on our ID project then went out snorkeling. Immediately I saw a cushion sea star (oreaster reticulatus).

A cushion sea star (oreaster reticulatus) very close to the dock

Jaden and I wanted to snorkel beyond the reef crest but we couldn’t find the path. When we noticed the time we had 20 minutes until lunch. We quickly swam back to find chicken nuggets and mac and cheese waiting for us. The food has been amazing and so is everyone who works here.

My goal was to find a sand dollar. My new goal is to find a live one

An invasive Lionfish sleeping on coral

– Kiwi Kristina

Today is currently day 4 of our 14-day adventure! In a couple of days, we will have our identification test. It’s a big test of around 50-100 species we need to memorize and learn their scientific name. With that being said, countless hours have been dedicated to snorkeling around trying to get photos of all different types of plants, fish, and invertebrates. Everyday seems to embrace us with a new species.

My group has seen multiple sting rays, a giant sea star, West Indian Sea egg, etc. BTW: rumor has it we may be doing a night snorkeling soon. So stay tuned to see some amazing photos!!

Here is a photo of a west Indian sea egg: Tripneustes Ventricosus. I found while snorkeling. For reference it’s about as big as a soccer ball

Starlet coral from today’s snorkel!

Skittle- Sarah signing off.

After a filling breakfast of pancakes and fruit, we all jumped right into either our photo identification projects or studying scientific names for the exams coming up in a few days. Learning the common and scientific names of 150 different species of plants, invertebrates and fish is no easy task, but we are all working hard to get it done. At 9:30, about ten of us were geared up and ready to explore the dive site: dairy bull. The purpose of the dive was to take more photos and videos to add to our identification projects. My project group decided I would focus on looking for new sponges and algae we hadn’t already identified. Take a look at this cool sponge I found:

This is an Orange Ball Sponge, its scientific name is Cinachyra sp.

My favorite thing to find during a dive is a flamingo tongue. Apparently there were a dozen on the dive, but I didn’t see any. Dr. Peterson and Dr. Warren teased me relentlessly for this. Next time I hope. Dr. Peterson was our dive leader, but he chose to go off on his own pretty early in the dive, so I got to practice my navigation skills. It did not go as well as I hoped.

After the dive it was time for lunch and a lecture from Dr. Warren about coral reef stressors. The rest of the day was spent identifying species. I didn’t quite finish mine, so I will be back at it tomorrow!.

-Claire

Today was a full day of snorkeling. Immediately after breakfast a couple of us practically ran into the water and went out to the reef crest. The visibility was perfect and the water was calm. There was so much life and color. It is amazing how diverse such a small area can be. During our swim we encountered a Great Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda), Balloon fish (Diodon holocanthus), Peacock Flounder (Bothus lunatus) and many others. After two hours of snorkeling, we headed in for a perfectly scrumptious lunch. After inhaling our food, we had our tropical reef fish lecture where we learned about all the fish we had seen that morning. Fun fact, some fish have bones (Osteichthyes), and some have cartilage (Chondrichthyes)!

After the lecture it was time to snorkel again. We swam over the hole which is a very deep section close to shore. All of a sudden the sand dropped into darkness and the comforting sight of the bottom was gone. I became completely still and floated in the blue. Suddenly a long skinny tail caught my peripheral. It was a beautiful Spotted Eagle Ray (Aetobatus narinar) gliding through the water. It was small, only about three feet long in diameter but it felt massive. We swam with it for over three minutes watching the way it flew. Eventually we couldn’t keep up and had to stop.

Afterwards, we started identifying everything we had seen and began to compile a slideshow will all the organisms. As of right now my group has photographed and identified over 70 different species. The day was filled with amazing discoveries and I’m excited for what has yet to come.

Pictured left to right: Rose, Sarah, Emily, Christine, Camille, and Paxton at the reef crest.

A Spotted Eagle Ray (Aetobatus narinar) that we spotted which caused a multi minute swim along.

– Raspberry Rose