The roaring waves crash against the shore, filling the air with an inescapable salty odor. I took one final breath of fresh air, gather my crimson red fins at my side, and plunge into the oceans ice cold embrace.
The day began with the loud beeping of my alarm at exactly 2:50 A.M. As a resident of a subarb far outside of downtown Dallas, it was quite a commute to Loviefield airport, but due to my excitement, I did not mind the long car ride. Upon arrival, we united as one party and prepared for the journey ahead. We sluggishly made our way through a day of travel before finally reaching our destination, the beautiful Grand Cayman Island.
After a sbort bus ride we arrived at Cobalt Coast Resort, our home for the next seven days. We enjoyed a quick savory lunch before our first aquatic adventure began, an immersive snorkel around the local cove. My buddy Clark and I quickly devised a plan of swimming into the current to start the snorkel, so that we could drift back to the dock when our snorkel was over. During this first experience, I noticed a lot of key descriptive factors that helped me identify certain fish species. Similar to the way we did it in class, I first and foremost identified major colors and patterns of the fish and then identified key behaviors. One specific example was a parrotfish. I first noticed a particular fish’s dark green color and yellow accent marks. Additionally, I observed it as it ate the algae off of a particular coral. Through this distinct behavior, I identified it as an adult Queen ParrotFish. Farther along our snorkel, Clark and I also identified triggerfish, rockfish, and an invasive lionfish lingering along the reef. Sadly as our snorkel came to an end, I began to notice small portions of bleached coral and loads of plastic waste on our way back to the dock. These common finds further highlight the effect that man made pollution has on the environment and truly opened my eyes to such, as I have never before seen bleached coral in person.
To finish the day, we enjoyed a fantastic dinner and dessert, followed by a brief and informative meeting to discuss logistics for tomorrows dives and activities.
Sincerely,
Sam Levis
