We had a very busy day today – so busy that the guys went to bed a bit early and will not be blogging tonight. The guys will fill-in the details, but I want to give a quick teaser on what we did today.
The Marine Biology 1 guys went turtle tagging and were able to catch one large hawksbill turtle. It had already been tagged, but they were able to collect some measurements for research projects going on in the area. The weight measured over 60lbs! The Marine Biology 2 class spent the morning looking at the reef cam (link to come shortly) and snorkeling in an area where baby lemon and nurse sharks are common. We saw several 2-3 foot sharks and several large rays. The afternoon was filled with a walk and snorkel through and around the Baths. It was great and everyone saw some pretty neat things (turtles, rays, squid, and fish). We capped off the day with a birthday BBQ on the beach for Duncan and Jackson and a night snorkel. The night snorkel was filled with more rays, squid, and fish. One group saw several octopi. Stay tuned for more color commentary tomorrow in the student blogs. Several pictures from today are included.
Tomorrow the Marine Biology 1 guys head to the RMS Rhone in the morning for a nice 2-tank wreck dive. The Marine Biology 2 guys will be heading to a TBD site, depending on currents and visibility. We all meet for a fish and chips lunch on Cooper Island before a sea grass snorkel that is sure to be filled with green turtles, conch, and rays.
Everyone is doing great and we hope you have been enjoying the blog posts!
