July 19, 2018
Breakfast started at 6:30 and again our group parted ways. Open Water students began their course work in classrooms by watching informational PADI videos and then taking a brief quiz afterwards. Open Water students then began their first pool dive learning how to breathe through the regulator underwater and how to control their buoyancy. Meanwhile Reef Ecology students went on their first dive to refresh their skills that they previously learned at the Burlington Waterfront Dive Center. They then went and had their first lecture about general ocean information.
After lunch Open Water students set off back to the classroom again to get more diving information and then out to a second dive in the pool. They practiced putting on and off their masks underwater and learned how to get the water out. Reef Ecology students set off for their second dive of the day located at Black Coral Wall where students leaped of the boat and started their journey enjoying and observing beautiful coral reefs. They saw an abundance of fish like Fairy Basslets, Squirrelfish, Stoplight Parrotfish and even a Queen Angelfish. Reef Ecology students then had their second lecture about coral and it’s importance.
After dinner Open Water students headed to their first lecture of the trip where they learned about the oceans importance and it’s properties. Reef Ecology students had their third of the day about coral and algae identification.
Our group then had a final lecture of the night from Brian Bry Wilson who talked about plankton and it’s importance to the ocean’s ecosystem.
The exhausted students and chaperones are excited for their second day in the beautiful country of Honduras!
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| Lily Diving |
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| Blue Headed Wrasse |
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| Queen Angelfish |
July 18th, 2018
Taking a short bus ride from the airport we arrive at the ferry where we would ride from Roatàn to the island of Utíla and we finally got to Coral View Beach Resort where Operation Wallacea is located. The group got settled in their rooms and then headed out on their first snorkel, observing the coastal reefs of Honduras and seeing multiple fish species like the Blue Tang, Porcupine Fish and Sergeant Majors. Drying off for dinner we had a small orientation and then we headed to bed.
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| Owen Snorkeling |
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| Porcupine Fish |
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| Blue Tang |
July 17, 2018
Upon arriving at Dartmouth Coach the group boarded the bus and started our four hour journey to Logan Airport. To our dismay our flight to Fort Lauderdale got delayed meaning we would miss our connecting flight from Fort Lauderdale to Honduras. After many hours of searching for flights sadly our group had to split, one half went to Houston and the other took the original flight to Fort Lauderdale. A long (and very air conditioned) night in the airport later we finally met up at Roatán International Airport.
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| Cool floors in the Miami Airport |
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| Flight from Florida to Roatàn |
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