Today is our last day on the Cayman Islands! We went on two more dives today. The first was a location called “Trinity Caves.” The name is slightly misleading however, as they aren’t so much caves as canyons open at the top. Lucy led us through the canyons in a single file line, as they were too narrow for anything else. Inside the canyons were aquatic plants such as sea fans and seaweed, as well as different types of coral and sponges. Most of the fish I saw in the canyon itself were relatively small, mostly tiny Fairy Basslet with their purple heads and yellow tails. I also saw a few Blue-beaded Wrasse, mostly in the initial phase with their bright yellow coloring. After exiting the canyon, I immediately spotted a massive Nassau Grouper with its brown and gray markings. Well, I didn’t actually see it until it moved, because its markings helped it camouflage perfectly with the rock underneath. It really impressed me with its ability to adapt its camouflage to its environment. It also provided an interesting contrast to the dozens of other brightly colored fish I have encountered, illustrating that different species can evolve totally different, it equally effective, methods of survival.
The second dive was at a location called “Chain Reef.” This dive site was unique because of the anchor and chain that was dropped there and cut loose years ago. However, over time the coral grew over the chain and it resulted in a healthy reef. At this location I saw large schools of French Grunts, identifiable by their yellow bodies and large eyes. I also saw lots of parrotfish at this location, most commonly of the stoplight and redband varieties. Initial Stoplight Parrotfish have golden scales with a red tint, while the terminal phase is a blue color all around. Redband Parrotfish have green heads and orange tinted dorsal fins in both the initial and terminal phases. Also at this site was an old sunken lawn chair! We don’t know how it got there, but it was probably from a storm of some kind. Regardless, it made for a funny photo op! Halfway into the dive, my buddy Lee pointed out a little crevice in a rock formation, which I believe held a sea urchin inside. I really love how the man made chains in this reef were integrated into the natural reef.
As this is my last blog post, I suppose I will take this chance to say what an amazing experience this has been. I had a blast on this trip, and I learned a lot along the way. Goodbye!
