Marine Life Identification

Went snorkeling after classes today to begin practicing fish, coral, coral diseases, and invertebrate identification. Saw a juvenile lion fish swimming around a hard coral. My identification of corals is very limited at the moment because we were just introduced to corals yesterday. With time and practice I will get better. Fun fact about lion fish: these are the only fish around Bonaire that can be spear fished; otherwise, there is no spear fishing in Bonaire.

Ocean surgeonfish

Being underwater watching all the fish swim around is peaceful. No sound whatsoever. Exploring this whole new world underwater is amazing. I can't wait to start scuba diving tomorrow and getting to spend more time below the surface.

First Day of Classes

First day of classes went really well. Swimming and snorkeling were part of our class to prepare for our first day of scuba diving on Thursday. While snorkeling got to see some cool fish, which makes me more excited for the marine life I will get to see throughout the semester. Saw some type of flounder, multiple parrotfish, some different types of eels, and many more that I can not name...yet. We also just started our fish identification class.

Went night snorkeling to round out the evening and saw a lot of moray eels while catching some on camera.

Arrival in Bonaire

Bonochi! (Good Evening)

Arrived in Bonaire safely and was welcomed with this view. I am excited to spend 3 months here learning about marine biology specifically coral reef systems as well as immersing myself in the local culture.

Once most of the students and myself were settled, we went for a swim in the clear, blue water and got to know each other. We continued to hang out for the rest of the evening exploring the town.

The Adventure Begins

Spent the last week getting everything ready and taking care of graduation contracts. Now, I am at the airport awaiting my midnight flight to Newark, NJ then on to Bonaire. The benefit to having a late night flight is that check-in and security does not take very long.

Made it to Newark. Still tired even though I was able to sleep on the plane. Sleeping made the flight go by really fast. It would have been cool to land in the daylight to see the New Jersey landscape. Now, a three hour wait until I will officially leave the country and be in the Caribbean for 3 months.

Packing

Preparing to leave on Friday is going slowly. I have piles of everything that I need to pack in my suitcase. Now, just thinking how I will strategically pack.