Location: Cade's Reef, Antigua
Today we woke up to another dreamy day in the Caribbean. There was a gentle breeze, a brilliant sun, and two turtles who joined us for breakfast. We started the day preparing for a big day of diving. Those who were not previously scuba certified finished their final dives for their Open Water Scuba Certification. They completed their safety skills and finished with a Controlled Emergency Swimming Ascent. Those who were already certified got to enjoy a fun dive with the local fishies. The divers loaded up in the dinghies and headed about a mile away from Vela to a reef with crystal clear turquoise water, abundant fish, and some little reef sharks! While we each waited our turn to dive, we hung out doing laundry, tanning in the afternoon sun, free-diving below Vela, and catching up on school work.
After everyone returned from diving, we got ready for dinner. Our amazing chefs of Tom, Charlie, and Max cooked up another mouth-watering meal. We had five different kinds of pizza, including pesto, Hawaiian, mushroom, bell pepper, and ham – all freshly baked with homemade pizza crust. We ate dinner around the cockpit while watching the sunset. As the sun dipped below the horizon, we loudly cheered as it disappeared behind the waterline and showed the green flash. After dinner, we did “squish” with the question of the day: “What is your dream life?” Everyone’s answers somewhat echoed each other – we all want to live in harmony with nature, travel, and be with those we love. It was a wonderful way to get to know everyone a little bit better. After squish, Leoni surprised us with a red velvet cake decorated as a diving flag to celebrate our certifications! A great end to a great day!
Photo 1: Meghan, Greg, and Valentina enjoying some Pringles
Photo 2: Mack and Greg doing laundry
Photo 3: Sonnet, Valentina, and Bennitt doing homework
Photo 4: View from Vela
Photo 5: View from Vela
Photo 6: Sunset during dinner
Photo 7: Bennitt, Ethan, Will, Maddie, and Katelyn enjoying the Scuba Cake
Photo 8: The Scuba Cake!