Location: Soper's Hole, Tortola, BVI
Today dawned bright and early at 5:30 for some of us, but some students hadn’t slept a wink in anticipation of departure today. They spent the evening hanging out on deck, spending their final hours together, and reminiscing about our 40 days together. At 06:00, the taxi arrived to whisk the first ten students off to Road Town to catch their ferry to St Thomas and their flights home. At 09:00, the final five students departed to head home as well. Ocean Star was quiet again – but in those moments after the students leave on the final day, I always long for a rambunctious boat with lots of music, chatter, and laughter.
This was a fantastic group, and we had such a fun, challenging, and fulfilling summer together. In 40 days, we accomplished so much: Seamanship class, Oceanography class, Open Water, Advanced, and Rescue diver courses, countless anchor raises and sail raises, and so much more. The students learned so much, and they really pushed themselves out of their comfort zones daily, whether it was seasickness, nervousness about diving, backflips, intense hikes, absorbing all their Oceanography knowledge, or taking their NavMaster exams. I think I can speak for all the staff when I say that we are incredibly proud of these students, not only for how much they learned and grew but also for the bonds they formed over the past 40 days, supporting each other every day no matter what challenges were thrown at them.