Submarine and Snorkeling

Diego: Today I plunged 95 feet into the ocean in the Atlantis submarine. This is where I saw and documented the marine wildlife of a coral reef through the crystal clear water. As the submarine went by the coral reef I could see dozens of fish swim by. As I dove deeper I could see why they call this submarine a technology marvel. I say this because it sustains perfect life conditions for humans. As the submarine surfaced I wished I could stay but I knew that I had to board the ship and head back to shore.  Then I realized that more exciting adventures will come later in the week.

Kamryn: As the buses came closer to the sea, the excitement I
felt about today’s adventure was increasing. The idea that a photo and
essay got us the trip of a lifetime was finally setting in! As I looked
out of the tour bus window for the hundredth time, I spotted a huge,
white double-decker boat with a blue overhang waiting for our arrival.
Once the bus parked, all 15 of us scurried out of the bus and rushed
into a small souvenir shop where we received our instructions. Once we
all nodded our heads, not really absorbing any information due to our
eagerness, we got to go outside by the docks and take the first of many
picture in the Cayman Islands. Crabs stalked around, while fish swam in
bunches looking for food that local islanders would throw them. Finally,
it was time to get loaded onto the boat. I stumbled up the steps, not
ready for the rocking of the waves under my feet. With our backpacks on
and cameras at the ready, we had all finally made it onto the deck.
Suddenly the ship started moving, causing all of us to lose balance.
Once we got our sealegs on, we got the courage to get off of our seats
and roam around. At the front of the boat was a large round steering
wheel and a compass. However, one thing was missing; a captain.
Confused, I looked below me and at the first deck. Luckily there was a
man steering the boat with yet another set of equipment! Out in the
distance, someone saw the submarine bobbing with the sea. It was hard to
believe that all of the National Geographic crew would fit in the
small, cramped space!

But it all worked out in the end, and when we got off of our own tour of
the coral reefs and colorful fish we were ready for another boat
adventure! Luckily we got one more chance to experience the sea spray
splashing our faces. As we ate lunch and headed on back to the hotel, a
catamaran was anxiously awaiting our arrival. This boat was a lot
different from the first; it was a white ship with two long sticklike
floating devices attached to the bottom. There were two black nets which
had square holes in them so you could look below you and into the sea
passing by. Inside the ship were snacks and soft drinks to refresh us
when we were done with our exploring. As I took all of this in, the
crew told us to get on board. A ladder was lowered into the shallow part
of the tide so we could finally get out to the scuba-diving sites. As
my legs felt the warm trickle of the Caribbean Sea, I took a deep breath
and swallowed a mix of fear and anticipation. Even though we were on a
boat earlier, I am not used to being on the sea a lot. The catamaran
started slowly working its way to the shipwreck we were going to
explore, and all 15 of us gathered around the black nets and began
telling each other stories while we kept on the lookout for exotic fish.
By the time we got to our first site, I felt the close friendship among
all of us that will surely grow as we explore the rest of the Cayman
Islands together.

Kobie: Hot, humid air billowed around me, dampening my shirt and
whipping strands of hair into my face. The catamaran bucked beneath me
as it was carried on the crest of a wave. Water sloshed against the
pontoons in swirls of teal, bubbles streaming upward like a strand of a
thousand silver beads. I pulled on my fins and slipped on my mask,
glancing up at the soft-looking gray sky. Condensation had already
started to fog the edges of my vision, and the feathery clouds seemed to
blur together to form a drab, uniform color. My feet, webbed with
rubber, felt awkward as I made my way down the narrow steps that lead to
the water. Shoving the end of the snorkel between my teeth, I took a
breath. Then, lukewarm saltwater sloshing around my ankles, I
jumped. The sea welcomed me in a wet embrace, and I plunged my face
beneath the surface. I gasped through the snorkel, wide-eyed. Coral
erupted from crevices in the rocks like multicolored buildings in a
strangely-designed city. Hundreds of fish darted through the eccentric
architecture, flashing every color imaginable. A shock of electric blue
blazed in the corner of my eye, and a school of tiger-striped fish
nearly blinded me with their neon scales as they streaked by. Urchins
delicately waved their spiny pins beneath massive, coral-encrusted
boulders. The seafloor looked like a miniature city as fish hurried
along from building to building, weaving in and out of bumpy,
finger-like structures. I dove, propelling myself downward with powerful
strokes. I was eye-to-eye with the fish as they swam inches from my
face. Seeing the world from their perspective made me realize how
important the health of reefs around the world truly is. We share this
ocean with billions of other creatures, and I look forward to
discovering more of them this week.