For a while, I thought that the views and experiences could not get any cooler than what we saw on yesterday’s dive, but today’s dives blew them out of the water. After we woke up, we went down to the marina for breakfast, which consisted of banana bread, sausage, and eggs. We then took a 40 minute boat ride to salt island, where Laura briefed us about the week of the RMS Rhone, which sunk in 1867 in a hurricane, claiming all but 23 passengers and sailors. It turns out, the site of the wreck is one of the most popular sites in the BVI, and about ten large sailboats full of divers and snorkelers. When we descended, we went down to nearly 75 feet, and the former 300 foot ship revealed itself, which was broken apart into two main pieces: the bow, and the stern. We swam through a gap in the side of the ship, and entered a roomy interior space of the ship, and observed the sponges and the awesome parrotfish eating the coral. Next, we went on down to the stern and gearbox, where the 10 ft, propellor was sticking out of the sand. Once again, I got stung by the demon fire coral- it can’t stay away from me! On the way back to the boat, we all came within five feet of a large barracuda stalking a smaller fish. After these dives, we had lunch on cooper island, where we had a tour of the self sufficient, eco friendly hotel equipped with solar arrays and batteries for power. Also, we had had a fantastic meal of fish and chips at the hotel restaurant. Finally, we snorkeled for a while and then had dinner at the marina where we talked and laughed and had a great time. Unfortunately for me, I have not seen an octopus, squid, or eagle ray yet, which I really want to see in real life rather than just pictures before I leave.
