Location: Petit Bayeux
The morning kicked off with the best cinnamon rolls ever, courtesy of our birthday girl and head chef extraordinaire, Maddy! In her honor, we spent the day indulging in all her favorite foods (yes, theres a list.) Fueled by sugar and excitement, we set out to deploy our BRUVs (Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems), which immediately put our problem-solving skills to the test; two out of three broke. But with a little ingenuity (and a lot of zip ties and duct tape), we got them back in working order.
Next up was diving! The rescue and advanced students enjoyed a fun dive. At the same time, Eli and Isaac completed their first-ever deep dive to 95 feet, where they spotted angelfish, barracuda, a ghost fishing net, and a vibrant reef teeming with fish. Back onboard, we refueled with a comforting plate of mac and cheese and Rice Krispies treats. Because if every meal doesnt include dessert, is it really a birthday?
In the afternoon, Benny and Cecily set out on a mission to retrieve our BRUVs, making a valiant (but ultimately unsuccessful) attempt to recover a lost mask along the way and instead just got stung by a fireworm. (RIP, Cecilys gear.) We then raised anchor at Petit Byahaut and set sail for Young Island, where the students wrapped up their Emergency First Response (EFR) training en route.
Once moored, we hiked to the top of Fort Duvernette just in time to watch the sun dip below the horizon. We finished the day with a pizza party on deck, complete with birthday cake with rainbow sprinkles (another favorite food of Maddys). It was a birthday celebration to remember!