Day 6, Friday May 22, 2015

          After a breakfast of eggs, black beans, tortillas, and fruit, we made our way to the dock to meet Chicho, our trusty guide from Monday and Tuesday. Once aboard the Olgie (Suya II) we sped off to the manatee channel, passing the slow moving Goliath that held the other group from Illinois. After arriving at our destination, we had a brief chat with Maureen to discuss our snorkeling route. Once everyone was in the water, we weaved our way through the maze of coral to the channel, only to be greeted by a sleeping manatee. The manatee, larger than any of us expected, was complacent and did not seem to mind the attention until he needed to surface for air. Once he disappeared, we tirelessly swam against the strong current in the channel after him, but to no avail. On the way back to the boat, we split into two groups, one with Dr. Smith and one with Maureen, to practice our coral identification skills. After boarding the boat, we made our way to Caye Caulker for lunch, but not before stopping to feed a local school of tarpon (Megalops atlanticus). For lunch, we dined on chicken burgers and French fries at the Happy Lobster. With an hour to explore after lunch, several groups set out in search of ice cream to cool down from the heat of the island. For our last snorkel of the day, we returned to Coral Gardens to explore the area in more of a relaxed setting and continue sharpening our identification skills for the upcoming practical. We identified organisms that we had not seen in the area before such as queen angelfish, rock beauty, and a green turtle. After everyone was tired from the long day, we returned back to the compound and said our goodbyes to Chicho. Study time began shortly after a refreshing dip in the pool and a wonderful supper of chicken fajitas prepared by Maggie. (written by Austin Wood and Trey Spillers).

Exploring the "streets" of Caye Caulker