Today we started off our day with breakfast and then we went to get on our boats so that we could do our shipwreck dive. We dove down and saw a lot of fish such as bar jacks, tobacco fish, juvenile creoles, and more. The name of the ship which was sunk was called the Kodiak Queen, and it was originally called YO-44 and it was a U.S. Navy Fuel Barge boat. One of the most interesting things about it is that it was actually in Pearl Harbor when the attack happened in 1941, and it is one of only five ships that survived the bombing. After this we got back on the boat and travelled over to “our” marine protected coral nursery, which was created by former Jesuit students. We dove down and cleaned off the PVC trees in which the staghorn coral hung from. We did this because we were trying to prevent the algae and other things growing on the staghorn and hindering its growth. The PVC was covered in algae and even had fire coral growth in certain spots. Many of us, myself included, accidentally touched the fire coral and got a bit of a stinging sensation. It didn’t hurt too much though compared the small jellyfish sting I got on the back of my thigh. After this we ate lunch and jumped off the top of the boats for almost an hour, doing different tricks. Just about 8 people or more did my signature move and claim to fame, “the topsy turvy”, a glorified 360 spin in midair. Finally after all of this we went on a snorkel in Biras Creek and snorkeled by the mangrove trees, which are a wonder of nature. They grow half in the salt water and half outside but are able to filter out the salt and also intake CO2 despite the fact that their roots are surrounded by the ocean. This area provides shelter and a thriving ecosystem for juvenile fish and juvenile sharks, as well as other animals such as Barracudas, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers. After this we headed back and then went to our own cabins to rest. Then, after that much needed rest we went down to the commersary and internet room to eat dinner and work on our project, which we were able to finish. Tomorrow I look forward to community service and hope not to get sunburnt. I am also hoping that our project presentation tomorrow goes really well and we are able to explain it well. A day well spent ended in the internet working on our blogs and listening to Elton John and Queen.
