Our fourth day started out with 2 tank dives. Our first dive was the deepest yet, 100 feet. There was a massive drop off to the bottom of the ocean, around 4,000 feet, on the corner of the dive. The reef was gorgeous and there were many canyons where we could swim through and inspect each nook and cranny of the reef. I was able to spot a weird type of fish which as a brown, dirt-ish color and shaped like a pyramid. This fish is called a Spotted Trunkfish. Additionally, I saw a large group of silver fish hanging around the anchor. On our second tank dive we descended to around 50 feet and were able to travel around a flat, plentiful reef. I was able to find many more species on this dive including a juvenile pair of Great Barracuda hanging around the reef. I also found a foursome of massive Parrotfish. These Rainbow Parrotfish were about 2 feet in length and 1 foot in height. I could also identify that the fish was a type of Parrotfish because the bowel movement released sand.
After lunch, our group traveled with Lee and Lucy to the original Stingray City. We dove in to waters that were 12-13 feet deep and immediately spotted 2 stingrays. As we moved to our spot, we began to find more and more stingrays began to come into our circle. With the stingrays, Sergeant Major and Grunt began to follow Lee around in search for some squid. While touching the stingrays, there are two holes behind its eyes that filter out rocks, sand, and other undigestible objects. The stringray felt like concrete covered in algae on the back, yet on the belly, the stingray felt very smooth. As we were coming back to the boat, I noticed a stingray burying itself in the sand. The stringray used its flexible wings to fling sand on top of itself, and completely covered itself in the sand and rocks. This was a great once-in-a-lifetime experience and I’m so thankful I had this opportunity, I look forward to seeing what tomorrow has to offer!
