Location: Mermaid Pools, Antigua
Hi everyone! Today was such an amazing day. It started off with an early rise at 6:30 am and a delicious yogurt and granola breakfast. We were quickly whisked away to shore to go on a short walk through some of the local greenery to a hidden paradise of mermaid pools. Everything here looks straight out of a movie. On the way there, we were greeted by the biggest crab most of us had ever seen in our entire lives. I guess he didnt want everyone to find his secret paradise because when we got there, we saw the most beautiful, vibrant reef below us and a rainbow straight ahead. Pretty cool.
We headed back to Ocean Star, and our certified divers went to a dive site called Pillars. Picture coral, reef fish, sponges, and every color you can possibly imagine all in one view. It was AMAZING! Those working towards their PADI Open Water Diver certification learned what is known on Ocean Star as the Gear Rodeo. After lunchtime, we had our first practice fire drill.
Then, the divers working towards their advanced certifications did a bit of knowledge review while the uncertified divers went out into the ocean for the first time with their SCUBA gear! They dove in about 6 feet of water and absolutely crushed their skills. 1000/10, some might say. They were in a seagrass meadow, and some people got to see a few hermit crabs. Getting back to the boat, we debriefed and then took the beloved ocean shower. If youre confused as to what that means, just know it involves a lot of jumping off the boat and rating who has the best dives.
Now most of us have the dreaded PADI informational videos to watch. Though valuable and important, I think with the combination of the warm salon and lull of the engine, most people find it hard not to drift into a peaceful sleep and dream about all of the cool adventures we had today and ones we are excited for this week. But, we have to learn the information before we go out, so we persevere and pay attention We cant wait for all of the amazing things in the underwater world well get to explore as we learn more about SCUBA! Word on the boat is that were manifesting a manta ray, shark, or octopus in the coming weeks. Wish us luck!
We miss you all and cant wait to tell you more about this trip when we come back, tanned and accustomed to life in the islands. 🙂