It is a good feeling to wake up in the BVI. After only 5 hours of sleep, I was woken up by the harmonious songs of roosters. Although exhausted, I eagerly got out of bed to see the island in the daylight, and to face the challenges of the day. Everywhere you look you are surrounded by beauty. Our class spent the morning in orientation, which was led by the leaders of Dive BVI. In orientation we learned about the different species of coral, and how many of those species are endangered. We learned about many ways in which coral is now being preserved and harvested. One way in which coral is preserved is to find fragments of coral on the ocean bottom that are still alive, and to reattach those fragments to larger colonies of coral. This reattachment can be done by using zip-ties or underwater epoxy. After our orientation and lunch, we took our taxi to the marina and hoped onto our diving boat, the Seadragon. We went out to our dive site, Valley Trunk. The crystal clear blue water kept me in awe for the duration of the dive expedition. We entered into the refreshing water, a pleasant escape from the heat and humidity on the surface. The instant I entered the water and my face submerged, I saw the incredible visibility in the water. I could see as far as 80 feet in all directions. We descended below, and after a few skill tests, we swam off into the vast ocean. We saw a lion fish, an invasive species that is not native to the Caribbean and consequently harms the food web and the ecosystem of the BVI. We also saw angelfish, eels, and many other tiny and colorful fish. I also saw different species of coral, and I saw examples of diseases and damage to the coral. It was a phenomenal first dive, but I have been promised an even more beautiful second dive. I cannot wait.
