Location: Guadeloupe
Jostled awake either by the rocking of the boat or the sound of fellow crew-mates moving about the saloon, everyone awoke before I had the chance to myself. The morning was a slow start, and the rest of the day would prove to follow a similar pattern. After a breakfast haunted by the ghastly French sausage, everyone filtered into the saloon for Oceanography, where we learned how the wind and water density move the tides across the globe. Shortly after, we got a demonstration of this effect as anyone who jumped in the ocean to cool off after class faced the incoming shore tide and had to fight to reach the ladder and return aboard. After a refreshing dip, we began to prepare for passage to our next destination. With sail covers removed, sheets run, and lifelines mostly cleared of any drying clothes, we completed our passage prep. By the time we had finished, the sun was high in the sky, and there was little shade left to protect us from her scorching rays. Hastily lunch was delivered to the deck, bowls of pasta salad came and went, and just after a short clean-up, the crew was ready to dive! I was set to dive with the second group, so while the first group went off to explore beautiful reefs, the others stayed behind, and I caught up on some much-needed RnR, sitting in the air-conditioned saloon snacking on fruit left over from our time in Dominica and open jars of Nutella with spoons we regained the energy the hot sun had taken from us. Not long after our snack break, the sound of our dingy Irv could be heard fast approaching, and we knew it was our time to kit up and get in the water. The dive was nothing short of magical; even before we descended, fish were swarming around our fins. My group conducted data collection, noting the biodiversity, water temperature, and salinity. After collecting our data, the rest of the dive was ours to enjoy. The reef was full of vibrant fish and coral that made you feel like you were in another world. coming up from our dive and arriving back on Ocean Star, my group was greeted with the smell of dinner, and it did not disappoint. We ended the day with one of the best sunsets I’ve seen so far and the rare but always satisfying dessert. Tomorrow holds the promise of our second overnight passage, and I, for one, cannot wait.
Goodnight and Farewell,
Peyton K. <3