Like all the other days, Day 6 started at 7 o’clock in the morning when we atebreakfast. Shortly after, we loaded up onto the buses and drove to the dock. I was very excited for our first morning dive which was a dive around the USS Kittiwake.
Arriving at the dive site, I noticed many boats on the surface. This popular tourist attraction would be the highlight of my day. Initially commissioned in 1945 for World War 2, it served as a submarine rescue craft during its lifetime. It later was decommissioned in 1994 and sunk as an artificial reef in 2011. Descending onto the ship was breathtaking, I immediately noticed how the ocean had begun to claim the ship; algae and coral had begun to grow and there were a few fish around the wreck. I wasn’t able to identify any of the fish except for Blue Tang. Having seen them a lot I know recognize them easily due to their bright blue color and usual group behavior. They usually swim in groups and that makes them easy to identify. The wreck was incredible to swim around and I wasn’t really focused on marine life, I was trying to look into the boat and see what made it work. The ship was almost a playground and was a blast to explore, later on in the morning we were able to explore another wreck at a reef called Doc Poulson.
The area and wreck called Doc Poulson gets its name from a doctor that provided free healthcare to dive masters and brought the first hyperbaric chamber to the Cayman Islands. His charitable acts for diving helped earn him his permanent remembrance as a dive sit. This reef consisted of a small coral head and the wreck site of a small 60 to 70 foot boat that laid telephone cable around the Cayman Islands. The ship has been there since the 80s and the ocean has taken over the once stable vessel. During the dive I saw many unusual and exciting marine animals. I didn’t see anything noteworthy during the beginning of the dive however I spotted a Yellow Snapper. I recognized the Yellow Snapper due to its silver body and its resemblance to a Blue-Fin Tuna. Its trademark yellow stripe and tail were also telltale signs that it was a Yellow Snapper. The Yellow Snapper seemed to be social and was in a group of three. They circled the boat wreck and weren’t afraid of humans. Another incredible fish I saw near the end of the dive was a Barracuda. The Barracuda was very easy to notice, especially since it was near our dive boat by the mooring buoy. It stayed very still watching us and was alone. The Barracuda is very recognizable due to its slim long body and its silver skin. We had to make sure and avoid it when we were coming up and watched the fish during our safety stop. Both of the wreck dives today were very exciting and it was amazing to see the ocean growing on man made structures underwater.
After the 2nd dive we headed back to the resort for lunch and later for beach cleanup. The filling lunch prepared us for our cleanup which took around an hour. During the cleanup we picked up plastic and other garbage items. The beach cleanup was eye opening to see how much trash is on such a small beach. The ocean must have tons of more trash and it’s up to us to help pick it up. The ocean cleanup tired me out for our break and I decided to sleep until dinner. The rest of the day was relaxed and I’m a little sad for our last day tomorrow. This trip has been eye-opening and a great learning experience and it’s crazy that tomorrow is the last day.
