We began the day with a 2 tank dive. I decided to snorkel instead of diving. As I explored the water, The coral, while not exploding color, appeared to be healthy. In fact, it seemed to be in a healthier state then the coral I saw in the British Virgin Islands. This helped me realize how effective the Hawaiian Reef Conservation efforts are.
While I was snorkeling, I noticed a variety of different aquatic life. This included a mix of convict tangs, angelfish, and moray eels. I also saw a Green sea turtle. The fish were very skittish and the rocks they gathered around appeared to be damaged- possibly by boat anchors. This made me realize how irresponsible human behavior has impacted the environment of marine life.
After the dives, we all revisited the Monk Seal Hospital and learned in greater detail about the threats facing them. These threats mainly involve pollution and competition for food.
After the visit we regrouped for a meeting about the black water dive. The meeting included a presentation by famous photographer Joshua Lambus. He has done 800+ dives. His presentation included pictures of marine life he as taken during his numerous black water dives. We learned that, at night, a large number of fish (over 1,000 pounds of biomass) migrate from the pelagic zone to shallow water in order to hunt for pray. The majority of fish in this migration are very small (less then 6 inches long) I learned that the mass migration completes the circle of life because many of these organisms produce the majority of the Earth’s oxygen. I also learned that most of these organisms have some form of bio-luminescence. I am very excited for the black water dive tomorrow. Most of Mr.Lambus’s pictures are located on his website https://www.jlambus.com/#!blackwater/c16c1.
