Sunday July 4th

This was our last day out on the boat diving and snorkeling. The weather had given us a few days of beautiful skies and waters, but then it was becoming stormy again. Before coming on this trip I never thought I would ever get so close to fish. Getting to dive in the ocean with all these wonderful fish, plants, and creatures has really changed my world. You can see these fish in books or movies, but when you get the chance to be in the water right next to them it’s totally different. You get to see how they move, where they live, and what they are eating. This makes you realize just how important these animals are to our ocean ecosystem.

The places we went were Benwood shipwreck, City of Washington shipwreck, Fivefingers reef, and Horseshoe reef. All these places had so many amazing fish and some would be the same as other places, but some were different depending on where we were. The fish we found were: Queen Angelfish, Foureye Butterflyfish, Bicolor Damselfish, Yellowtail Snappers, Blue Tang, Trumpetfish, Nurse sharks, Spotted Eagle Rays, Blue Headed Wrasse, Great Barracuda, and so many more. While in the water I was able to follow some of these fish while they went about their day. I watched as they moved about the coral giving them space, but there were some that really didn’t mind you being right next to them and if you went to take a picture they seemed to pose for you. I have really enjoyed getting to know these fish and hope to keep doing this and exploring in the oceans seeing more plants and creatures.

-Nadia