July 8, 2023 - Tobacco Bay, BUEI and Night Snorkel at Whalebone Bay

In the morning we boarded the bus and headed to our first snorkel at Tobacco Bay about ten minutes away. The beach itself was small and crowded with beach chairs. We quickly geared up and swam out from the sandy beach and snorkeled around the rocks and islands for about an hour and a half. There were many small caves and inlets to explore here. We saw several large parrotfish including midnights which we hadn’t seen before, as well as various butterflyfish and angelfish. We also saw some interesting invertebrates like chitons and sea hares.

After lunch we took the bus to the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI). At BUEI we learned about the history of Bermuda and ocean exploration, the importance of seagrass and its decline, the sargasso sea, and the Bermuda Triangle. We also learned about why it is important to help maintain a healthy ocean, as well as threats our oceans are currently facing. Lastly, we also learned about successful research and conservation projects in Bermuda.

After some down time and dinner we headed out again to walk to Whalebone Bay for our first night snorkel. When we got there the sun had just set and it was getting pretty dark. Overall it was super interesting to see the reefs in the dark and we saw many species that are less common during the day. The highlights included two octopus, various tiny squid, two huge spiny lobsters, two balloonfish, a small spotted moray, and a needlefish.

-Elena and Brooke