Today we got our gear ready and headed out to our first dive site. It’s known as Hepp’s Pipeline for a coral that resembles the pipeline of a wave that surfer’s ride on. It was one of the most healthy, colorful dives sites on the island. One of those colorful fish is the trumpet fish. It is a long-bodied fish with an upturned mouth. Their body narrows considerably close to the mouth that gives it the look of a trumpet. The one I saw was a bright yellow but colors range from orange to yellow to blue to green. Another fish that was well known for being at this particular dive site is the juvenile spotted drum fish. This tiny fish has black and white bands down its body. It’s recognizable from its long wispy tail that forks into two parts both longer than the actual fish’s body. It’s found under ledges and caves and is a night feeder which preys on small crustaceans and worms. The next site we went to was the Spanish Bay Reef. Named after the Spanish Bay Reef Resort which was wiped out in the early 2000’s from a hurricane, the reef rests about 200 ft from the coast. This is a shallower dive only reaching about 60ft, but it was filled with fish. One of the most notable being the Great Barracuda. A barracuda is a large, blue-grey predatory ray-finned fish found in subtropical oceans around the world, recognized for its vicious looking teeth and, of course, that scene in Nemo where it kills Nemo’s mom. Apart from its infamous character and monstrous appearance, these fish are actually quite amazing to look at. They glide through the water above every other fish and always off to the side; they are solitary animals who hunt on ambush. They are also incredibly quick with burst of speed that can reach 27mph.
Also today we visited the long anticipated Stingray City, and it definitely lived up to the hype. After about a 40 min boat ride we got into the water and formed a circle on the sand. After bringing out squid about 6 Southern Atlantic Stingrays appeared from everywhere and started glided in every which way. The males are smaller and darker than the females. They eat worms, small fish, and crustaceans that they suck into their mouth and grind together with their jaws. They do not have any teeth and if they bit a human it would leave the impression of a hickey. I’d have one going around me to the right, one right in front of me, and one touching my head as it swam over. These majestic rays in Stingray City are used to human contact and were not afraid to get close. One stingray actually sat down in front of me and let me pet it for about two minutes before swimming away. From everything I experienced, Stingray City is something to put on a bucket list. The rays were friendly, people were gentle, and I fully believe they are wild animals capable of living in the deep blue. It was an absolutely incredible experience that I’ll never forget.
