Our final day was no different from the rest. I woke up at 6:45, ate breakfast and went straight to the boat. Our last two dives were some of the most incredible and I saw the most exciting marine life on these dives.
Our first sight was called the Sand Hole, a reef that contained many coral fingers and very bright coral along with very active fish. While diving at the Sand Hole I noticed a Hawksbill Turtle. The Hawksbill Turtle is currently critically endangered due to negligent fisherman and egg poachers. It gets its name from its bird-like beak and that’s how it is distinguished from other turtles. The Turtle was alone and was small, I think it was a young Turtle because of this. It swam away from us and away, making me believe that it is scared of humans, however it also surfaced for air so this could have been a coincidence. After the Turtle swam away, I quickly noticed multiple Trumpet Fish together. I noticed them due to their slender figure despite their advanced camouflage. I found it odd that they were in a group of 5 due to my initial belief in their solitude nature. It could be due to the prosperous reef and maybe the reef is a breeding ground for the Trumpet Fish. Whatever the reason, it was amazing to see them together in a group. After seeing the Trumpet fish group, we looked around the coral further and eventually ascended. We headed to our second dive site of the day and waited out our surface interval.
Our next dive site was called Ocean Pointe and it was the best. The dive-masters did a great job of saving the best for last. The dive was almost 45 minutes and the coral was beautiful. While looking around the coral, our dive-master pointed out a small Stingray. I learned that it’s called a Yellow Stingray, however many of the locals call it a Lemon Ray. It’s distinguished by its small circular shape and its sandy skin which helps it blend into the coral reef. After seeing it we moved on and swam around the rest of the reef. Along the top of a shallow coral wall, I noticed a school of Squirrel fish. I recognized them due to their big eyes, sharp red fins, and silver trunk. Usually they stay alone or in small groups, however for some reason this reef attracts schools of them. It’s very rare to see large groups of Squirrel Fish and that’s why this part of the dive was so incredible. We went to the surface for one last time and headed back to the resort.
While back at the resort, we had a few hours of free time. During this time I mainly slept, however we did prepare for our prayer service. After dinner we had a brief prayer service that talked about the oceans and connected the religious part of being. A Jesuit student to this trip. We also watched a video that wrapped up the trip and showed all our wonderful experiences. Overall I loved this trip. It was an amazing time with my friends to learn and also experience something brand new. I’m a little sad to leave the Cobalt Coast, however I feel as if its time to go home.
