My buddy, Gregory Pope, and I searched the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean for familiar types of fish. Near the shore of Cobalt Coast, we found and examined fish including Foureye Butterflyfish, Banded Butterflyfish, French Grunt, Sergeant Major, Princess Parrotfish, and Redband Parrotfish, additionally, while snorkeling, Gregory found a sea urchin. After we snorkeled, we identified multiple juvenile Sergeant Major in tide pools close to the shore. After dinner, Matthew Gonzalez suggested a sunset snorkel to check if any new species have replaced the fish we saw on the earlier snorkel. During our dive we only saw starfish and a Whiff, a species of flatfish which is found in the large-tooth flounder family. As Matthew and I began to swim further off the shore, we encountered a terrifying 3-foot Barracuda. As I talked to Ms. Matthews, we observed that the Barracuda was hovering towards the surface of the water in order to “dive-bomb” their prey. In fact, in certain situations, the Barracuda might follow the diver to distract the smaller fish away from the predator. I look forward to encountering a new ecosystem tomorrow during our tank dives.
