After breakfast we boarded the boat for an exciting adventure at Big Tunnels for the deepest dive yet this trip. Upon entering we immediately saw some black durgon swimming near the bottom. We descended over the coral reefs and began our path around the coral reefs. When we were at our deepest depth of 100ft. my partner and I saw two large tarpon swimming below us. We identified the tarpon by their bright silver body and blackness on the fins. Tarpon also do not have teeth so they swallow their prey whole and feed on sardine, shrimp, crab, etc. Near the end of the dive when we were bellow the boat I saw some sergeant major which we were able to identify from the white body with yellow horizontal stripes and black vertical stripes. These sergeant majors we saw were adults because the stripes were black and not a dark blue which is seen in the juveniles. When looking closer at the fish down at the coral I was able to see that it was feeding on the algae and traveled in small groups to different pieces of coral. Shortly after seeing and observing the sergeant major fish we had to ascend to the surface and prepare for the next dive.
We had a short boat ride to Bonnie’s Arch, a shallower reef, for our second dive of the day. After going through and archway and arriving at a large reef I began to see many squirrelfish hidden between the pieces of coral trying to avoid being seen and eaten by larger fish. We were able to identify them as squirrelfish because of the large black eye, pointy spine and orange and white striped body. At night squirrelfish create large groups and swim over the sandy bottoms of the ground looking for crab to eat. Toward the end of the dive nearing 40 minutes my partner and I were in out safety stop when we look up and we are immersed in a large school of jack. There were over 100 jacks swimming around us and could be identified by the black streak on there tail and their silver body. Jacks feed on shrimp and crabs off the sea floors and travel in large groups during the day. After seeing the school of jack we went to the surface and were ready for lunch.
Since Stingray City was rescheduled because of weather, I went snorkeling with some people snorkeling right outside of the resort, two of the coolest things we saw while snorkeling was the invasive lion fish floating with the current under the water and a small flounder swimming to shallower waters. We were able to identify the lion fish by the poisonous spikes and the flounder by the flat brown body swimming on the sea floor. After dinner we watched a documentary on human impacts on the sea around us, learning how it has been a goal for many to start and bring back the coral and fish population to what they use to be for future generations. It was very interesting to see that in the hope zones where human impact is greatly reduced the amount of growth that comes back to these areas creating a sustainable life for the ecosystem. I am looking forward to more morning dives and the turtle rehabilitation center tomorrow.
