January 2016
I had a fantastic time on the
UCONN Bahamas Study Abroad adventure. Although caving and studying beaches was fascinating; the ultimate activity was snorkeling, which luckily we were able to do nearly everyday. Every time our truck stopped, we were all hoping we would be able to bring our snorkeling equipment. I cannot express in words the excitement we felt when we learned we were able to go snorkeling after doing field research. It was the coolest and most refreshing break.
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| The dark areas in the water pictured above are beds of sea grass (thalassia). They are havens for baby fish and make a great feeding ground for turtles! |
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| Off to the races! |
Swimming amongst the colorful reef fish was pretty much one of the coolest experiences of my life. Seeing the bright corals amongst diseased corals was fascinating as well. Knowing that parts of the island were made from ancient coral reefs was really interesting to learn. The weirdest thing was definitely learning all of the coral names throughout the trip, so at the end of the trip I felt like the ultimate coral naming professional!
The highlight of the snorkel trips and maybe the whole trip overall were when were able to swim with multiple sea turtles and when me and my snorkeling buddy spotted a huge stingray! It was very cool, very mind blowing and I hope someday to go back!
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| Check out the pattern on this little fellow! Very impressive. |
