Arriving to the resort was a spectacle of its own. There is beach front service (food, pool, and a view of the ocean) with a dock that provides direct access to a patch of coral less than 100 feet from the edge of the pier. An hour after arrival, we went for a quick snorkel to acclimate to the water temperature. During the swim, the first fish that caught my eye was bright yellow with a black stripe and had a “second eye” near the end of its body. From the daily quizzes in the class portion of marine biology, I identified this as a four eyed butterfly fish. Also seen in the great blue, to my surprise, was a shoal of squid! However, these were not squid that I had seen before. The organisms were grey with black spots and had translucent fins. After researching common squid to inhabit Grand Cayman, I realized these were Caribbean reef squid! Other organisms that were seen during the snorkel include terminal stage princess parrotfish, grouper, French grunts, blue headed wrasse, and blue tang. Based of the vast biodiversity just off the dock, I am excited to see larger coral reefs teeming with life!
After the snorkel, the gang sat down for a tasty meal with the choice of a juicy 8oz. steak, shrimp/chicken penne with red sauce, or a shrimp noodle dish. Immediately following dinner, as if the island was saying, “Welcome”, the horizon blessed our eyes with a magnificent sunset, seen from a perfect viewpoint on the pier. Images of our first sunset on Grand Cayman are attached.
Day one blew us all away and I am exited to see what the morning dives bring!
