The above photo was taken from the patio of Cedar Cabin, in which Chris, Dylan and I are staying. When pulling up near our cabin after a long, but worthwhile, trip, one of our dive instructors, Casey, informed us that we would be staying in “one of the best” cabins. Yesterday, in the dark, I was unsure, but now I am positive it had to do with the breathtaking view from the patio.
Today’s schedule began with a 7:45 wake up, and a breakfast of eggs, sausage, potatoes, and toast, soon after. After breakfast, we were introduced to the Dive BVI team of instructors to which I am sure we will become very close by the end of the week. We got to know Casey and Jeff McNutt, an always smiling, married couple who will be our two main guides, as well as Brian, a friendly and wise Irishman, and Laura, an Englishwoman with an affinity for animals. Then, after many poolside breaks and a rundown of the week ahead of us, we ate lunch and prepared for our first dive. Upon reaching the yacht harbor, we split into our two boat groups, Sea Dragon and Sea Monkey. This week, I will be diving with Alex D., Guy, Christian, Joe, Jeff, Ceasar, Ty, Bennett, and Francis, aboard the Sea Dragon with Casey and Brian. I am part of Brian’s group of six, and have partnered with my long time Prince of Peace friend, Alex. Our first dive was designed to acclimate ourselves with ocean buoyancy and go over some fundamental, yet very important, dive skills such as regulator recovery and mask clearing. On our check dive in Valley Trunk Bay, we encountered healthy, as well as dead or dying coral, making us aware of why coral conservation is currently taking place, and why we will be working this week to replant it. We also came across a few angelfish and piston shrimp. The tiny piston shrimp fascinated me because they, despite their size, produce a fairly audible clicking sound while snapping their claw. When we returned to the yacht harbor, we dissected three lionfish, an invasive species to the BVI, that Casey had harpooned to see what they had harvested since their arrival here by checking their stomachs. We did not find anything in any of their stomachs, which is good news, as they had not been particularly “invasive”, or disturbing to any indigenous species. Then, after a little time to shower and dress, we ended our day with a delicious pizza dinner at Mad Dog with our dive staff, also consisting of a little competitive bean bag toss gameplay, and the viewing of a couple group project videos.
Looking back on the day, I am extremely enthused about having a blast with all of the Dive BVI staff, and all anxiety about my week on the island has dissipated.
