My first open water dive on a coral reef. Two dives at Cumbers Reef in Little Cayman. The fish and coral were so beautiful and the size of the reef and quality was mind-blowing. Once back in the classroom, I was able to ID some of the fish and other organisms I saw on the reef. This includes a Southern Stingray being followed by a Jack and a Hogfish, French Angelfish, juvenile spotted drum, fairy basslet, Nassau grouper, princess parrotfish, spotlight parrotfish (juvenile and adult), Hawksbill sea turtle, reef shark, nurse shark, longjaw squirrel fish, blue-headed wrasse, creole wrasse, Cassiopeia Andromeda, black durgon, and many more.
After the dives, back in the classroom, we studied coral morphology and worked on ID of local coral species. After the lecture, the class and I went for a snorkel in Grape Tree Bay to practice our coral ID skills. I also saw one of my new favorite fish, a juvenile Yellowtail Damselfish!
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