Location: Rasdhoo island, Maldives
Hello all!
Another epic day aboard Vela. Today began with shaking everyone awake and getting ready for a great day ahead. We began with a good hearty breakfast of cereal and granola. Shortly followed by two amazing classes, Leadership and Marine Biology, making for a pretty relaxed morning. After class, the certified divers suited up for a dive that many have said might have been the greatest of their life. I heard several reports of sharks, manta rays, and according to Zac, the biggest sea cucumber in existence, so I can only imagine how awesome the dive was for them.
The rest of the group, myself included, gathered their snorkels and fins and began their swim over to a little sand spit right off the starboard side of the boat. Within seconds of being in the water, we ( Myself, Danar, and Bee) spotted a friendly reef shark. It was an awesome start to our long snorkel! As we neared the little sand spit, the vibrant reef life became evermore abundant. I saw my first oriental sweetlips fish! Along with several other amazing sea creatures and pieces of coral. I was super psyched to take my first steps on land after twelve days at sea! I can now officially say I’ve visited the Maldives! While most choose to continue the snorkel or swim back to Vela Mads, Max, Bee, and I took in as much ashore time as we could and soaked up the sunshine on our own little private beach. After a sufficient time on land, we ventured back into the water to explore the reef once again.
Upon returning to Vela, we showered off. We got ready for an awesome dinner followed by a squeeze and an abundance of appreciation for our amazing staff members and fellow crew. All in All, it was a great day aboard, and I am beyond excited for the next three months with all my new friends!
I guess this is bye for now!
Photo:
1. Finley
2. snorkel team 6
3. Trey
4. Zac, Jon, Bee, and Sierra braiding hair
5. Plank session
6.Jon and Zac sharing a sunset meal.