Francis Rey Hipolito '14

It's been a been a while since we've returned from our crazy and fun adventure in the BVI and yet it hasn't seemed so long. Everything we learned and did hands on remains freshly engraved in my memory along with the people iv met. I wanted to personally thank all the Dive BVI crew, Brian, Casey, Jeff, Laura and...

Captain's Log - Star Date July 15, 2012 Ahoy there, landlubbers. Today was an excellent day to wake up at morning's first light and visit ye old dive shop to buy presents for mine family and friends. The grub this morning was exceptionally good, with Jeff's homemade banana bread and a good serving of grape Capri Sun. Nothin' better but...

Captain's Log - Star Date July 15, 2012 Today was fairly tiring but rewarding. We started off meeting as usual around 8:15 am and had breakfast at the boat. We had great muffins and yogurt reminding me of my quick breakfasts back home. Aboard the Sea Dragon, we ventured onto our dive site off the shore of Salt Island,...

Captain's Log - Star Date July 14, 2012 Today was quite an adventurous and long day, waking up at 7:30 in order to start the new and fresh day. Breakfast consisted of bacon, potatoes, and eggs, all prepared with finesse and expertise, evident in their amazing taste. We then had a presentation on how to identify fish and coral in...

Captain's Log - Star Date July 13, 2012 Today we awoke right as the sun rose, at a grueling 7:30 AM. As outrageous as that was, I survived and arrived early to our usual meeting place. We took the taxi/bus/truck to our breakfast consisting of sausage, hot dogs, and eggs. The protein was off the charts and the taste right...

Captain's Log - Star Date July 12, 2012 ^ The plane we took to get to Tortola Today marked the end of our lives as students and green divers and the beginning of diving veterans and marine biologists. We awoke early this morning around 8 am. The commanders came by and awoke us from our slumber. We awoke and readied ourselves...

Today we spent the majority of the class listening to the intriguing and engaging lecture of our peers regarding ethical dilemmas in the ocean. The first lecture was about ecotourism and while the concept is good and means to raise awareness, the true intentions of large companies having a much darker twist, meaning to milk the environment of its...

Among the amazing and abundant animals that inhibit the BVI, the southern stingray surpasses all other forms of marine life in grace and maneuverability. The southern stingray has a diamond shaped body and dwells on the bottom of the sea, often times relying on sand to camouflage and avoid predators. Among the most recognized features of the stingray is...

In this very classroom lies the mysterious creature known as the Antoon. Its scientific name is the ricardian antoonius. He has learned much in his time in marine biology, such as the effects of global warming on marine life and trees as well as the habits of angelfish in the BVI, which are Territorial fish. The Antoon cannot wait...