Location: Roatan, Honduras
Mask lines, iguana scratches, and harness marks were the signs of another full day on Argo as the crew assembled for dinner after a beautiful day in Roatan. The adventurous weekend away in Honduras let the crew recover and also gave Argo a chance to get back to ship shape state. A night out last night brought the crew even further together and reminded us how much we missed Argo while we were away. Some students missed their bunks and eating in the cockpit, but most of all, we missed being able to serve and clean up after ourselves. This morning started out with a stress-free wake-up with everyone rearing to go. Happy faces came, clambering up the companionway to a delicious breakfast of bagels to give us energy for the day. Comments about how happy the crew was to be back on board floated through the air as divers got their gear ready and others got ready for a day in Roatan. One crew member, in particular, was presented with a big first on Argo today: Hannah D. was about to embark on her first deep dive ever! Yes, you heard right, our open water divers are graduating to their advanced diver standing and are preparing to descend 100 feet into the depths of the ocean. To some, this would be seemingly impossible and threateningly dangerous, but to our brave, open water souls, they were mask tightened, fins strapped, tanks on, and ready to descend. On the other side of the diver spectrum were the brave rescue divers preparing for their day of tows, rescues, and searches. After a long, hot walk across the resort to the lagoon, our rescuers learned valuable skills about diver stress, emergencies, and rescue procedures.
Further up, the diver certification totem poles are the aspiring Dive Masters practicing deep dive leading and teacher training. Kimmery was the shining star today, effortlessly gliding along the wall at 100 feet as she was leading Britt and Hayley on a breathtaking deep dive. On the surface, our land-lubbering crew set out for a day of zip-lining and iguana farming. Who could resist gliding through the rainforest canopy only attached by a clip and a harness? Argo crew certainly couldn’t. Since watching these cold-blooded reptiles scurry along the walls in Bonaire and learning about their body temperature in Oceanography, the Argo crew has developed a keen interest in Iguanas. Upon hearing about the infamous iguana farm from other crew members who had visited Roatan in the past, they were in taxis headed to the farm before you could say “Iguana.” The whole day was a success for all, and after a dinner of Grill Night by Chef Kimmery, no one thought that the day could get any better, but it did. A spontaneous karaoke session led to the entire crew belting out classics that even got Matty moving and grooving. Great to have you back, Argo.