Wet 'n Wild Wednesday

Day 4 in paradise was jam-packed, but a lot of fun! We started our day with breakfast and then enjoyed a lecture on one of our favorite creatures-sea turtles! We were told that the presentation would be good luck for us in our snorkeling adventures, so hopefully we will see one in our last couple of days here. After our lecture, we got on the boat for our first snorkel of the day. Our boat ride proved to be very interesting as we got to see some flying fish along the way! The snorkel site we stopped at was the Blue Harbor Back Reef on the back of Anthony's Key. On this snorkel, we were given nets with which we could catch some organisms we find. In the end, we ended up with quite the collection! Together, we found sea stars, conch, sea biscuits, sand dollars, and even a rare sea slug! There was also a little octopus hidden within a conch shell, but he was not alive when we found him. We had the opportunity to hold and observe each of these organisms closely before releasing them. We even had a fun time collecting and identifying species of fish during our snorkel. Most of us saw four-eyed butterfly fish, squirrel fish, parrot fish, and some of us even spotted a majestic eagle ray!

Conch with a giant hermit crab!

Little octopus we found

After our collecting, snorkeling excursion, we headed back to Anthony's Key where most of us had delicious chicken quesadillas for lunch. We had a little bit of time before our next snorkel, so some of us decided to check out the gift shop and explore the island while others opted for a game or two of ping-pong. Then it was time to go back on the boat again. We headed over to another snorkel site known as Deep Water Eel Garden. The water was very rough, so we did not stay in for too long, which is unfortunate because I thought that the coral there was very beautiful! We saw many schools of blue tangs, chubs, black durgons, blue-striped grunts, and comb jellies (everywhere!). 

Examining our collection

Once we got back to Anthony's Key, we showered and got dressed up for an evening fiesta! But before we went, we settled in for a lecture on another one of our favorite creatures-dolphins! We all enjoyed learning about their anatomy, intelligence, and ability to echo-locate. Then, at happy hour, it was time for the fiesta. We took a boat taxi to the other side of the Key and enjoyed some more "cocktails" before the festivities began. While we waited for food, some of us started tossing a frisbee back and forth with a boy we befriended a few days ago named Theodore. Then we all sat down to dinner consisting of ribs, sea bass, potatoes, and beans. The festivities soon began with a hermit crab race! We each picked our own crabs and even opted to name them. But neither Carl, Eugene, Bartholomew or Sebastian won from our group. Next, there was a limbo contest. Harley and I got very close to winning but unfortunately fell short. But little Theodore was crowned the limbo king. Shortly afterwards, some local dancers came to perform for us and really gave us a taste of Honduran culture. It was in that moment as we watched the dancers in their colorful outfits and listened to the melody of the drums that we began to embrace the culture and take everything in. It truly was a moment that none of us will forget as we haven´t seen anything like it before. But the fun wasn´t over just yet. Our last festivity of the night was a dance competition. Most of us participated, and everyone emerged victorious. The whole night was an amazing experience!

Harley dancing the night away!

Mom and Dad: Thanks for commenting and letting me know you both are looking at the blog! Hahaha...Just wanted you to know that I´m having fun and look forward to sharing all of my experiences when I come home!

-Sarah