Saltwater Heals

I can not believe I have less than a week here on this beautiful island! The time flew by and I only have 6 days to wrap up my paper, finish my poster presentation, and enjoy the island breeze and sunshine a little bit more. Well, I may have enjoyed the sunshine a little too much yesterday because I got a pretty bad sunburn. I forgot to reapply sunscreen and drink lots of water when I was out in the ocean all day. I definitely got a bit dehydrated. But luckily I brought lots of aloe and hydration packets, so I am getting back to my normal self so that I can soak up every last second here. Today is a full computer work day, but how can I complain when this is my view!

I love my seashell notebook!

Since I don't have a lot of interesting things to write about my day today, I thought for this blog I could talk about the things I wish I knew before coming here and little things I've learned throughout my trip. This might be helpful for anyone who is thinking about going on this trip. First of all, I wish I brought a wet suit. I brought tons of long sleeve shirts but not anything to block my legs from the sun. My legs are frieddd! Secondly, a dry box for my computer. The humidity is so heavy here that Josh's computer quit working, and apparently this has happened a few more times before. Luckily my computer is doing okay but I have been making sure to put some rice bags in with my computer to absorb all the moisture out. Here’s a list of things I’ve found really helpful to bring—some of which you might not have thought of. HYDRATION PACKETS, snacks, LOTS of benadryl cream (bugs have been eating me alive no matter how much bug spray I use), waterproof bandaids and neosporin, WATER SHOES (there is fire coral EVERYWHERE), an extra snorkel (mine broke), a notebook and pens for data collection, a towel for after ocean use only, waterproof flashlights, and I think thats it! OH- and big trash bags/Duct tape for the boat ride to and from the island. If you don't want your bags absolutely soaked from the water, you need to put all your luggage in trash bags and duct tape it shut. Something else I learned was that I have major chocolate cravings here, especially since I've barely had any sugar since I have been here (which is a good thing) But, if you have the chance to stop somewhere in Roatan before heading to the island, make sure to stock up on Honduran chocolate, it is sooo delicious. 

Sunset from last night 

Some observations I made since being here: I don't know what is in the air and the food in the United states but even after a WEEK being here I noticed so many differences in my health. First of all, my acne completely cleared by the third day, second-my daily headaches went away! Usually I have to take ibuprofen to get rid of my headaches pretty frequently throughout the week but here I have had only one headache from some dehydration. Lastly, since I have no wifi in my room I have been going to bed so early and not scrolling on my phone for hours before bed so my sleep is so much better and that probably is a big contributor to my headaches as well. Honestly though, I just think that saltwater heals. Being fully in nature and getting vitamin D from the sun everyday is just so relaxing and peaceful. Nothing beats the sound of the birds and the waves hitting the sand. Going back to reality is going to be a hard transition but I am so excited to be back with my family. 

My three favorite C's- Coffee, Coral, and Coconuts

As my data is pretty much completely gathered, I have been working on analyzing it all and starting my research paper. My days consist of a lot of laying around in the hammock reading papers that relate to my research. I have learned so much about my topic and I hope that my work can be continued in the future. The hammock is my new favorite thing- just swaying back and forth while I listen to the birds in the distance and every once in a while a little coconut will fall from above. Every morning is so cozy with my cup of coffee or juice and I feel very productive working in such a beautiful place. 

Cantaloupe/Pineapple Juice

Today, we helped place some light sensors out into the water that detects how much light the corals are absorbing! We had to carry some equipment out so we decided to take the paddle boards! It was very windy and my arms were getting sore from paddling so hard to fight the waves. But honestly, I could use the workout since I haven't been able to workout much since being here. I've been wayyy to busy, but hiking and paddle boarding have done the trick!

Can't get over this view

After, I grabbed my book and laid out on the dock for a little bit, but suddenly it started to downpour rain while the sun was still shining! It was the prettiest thing ever. I sat and watched the entire rainstorm. Fish were jumping out all over the place! After dinner we played a super fun domino game and then we headed to bed super early. I am super excited because tomorrow we are going on another night snorkel! I hope I get to see more Spotted Eagle Rays again or maybe something else I haven't seen before! 

Snack time!!

Open Ocean

These past few days have been really research heavy. We are in the water about 5-6 hours a day collecting all the data that we need but hopefully today is my last day of collecting data so that I can get started on my project. I am feeling very confident about my project and I am so excited to go home and show my friends and family everything that I did and the research that I found! For those of you who don't know much about my project, I am doing a continuation of a research project conducted here in 2022. I am identifying the amount of diseased sea fans (a type of soft coral) in 3 different sites along the west coast of Cayos Grande and seeing if the percent of diseased fans in the area have increased or decreased. Here is a photo I took of a badly diseased one!

Purple spots 

I am also curious in seeing if there are any other factors that might have to do with the disease like depth, distance, water temp, salinity, etc. My project is slowly coming together! I am trying to work hard while also soaking in every minute being on this island! I can't believe I have officially been here over a week! The time is flying by! Usually we do my research in the morning, and I help with Josh's research after lunch. Usually in the afternoon we try to do something more fun. Yesterday, we went out to pelican point out in the deeper water where the reef wall drops really deep. When you look out all you see is the open ocean. At first I was pretty scared but once I got in it was beautiful to see this new part of the reef. 

Just me and the open ocean!!

When we got back I was walking along the beach looking for sea glass and all of a sudden I see something super big in the water right by the shoreline. I run over to it and this is what I found!!

I love these

 I also was able to see this cute little guy on my way back up to my room. There are hermit crabs, land crabs, geckos, iguanas, and humming birds everywhere! You never know what you're going to find when you go on a walk! I love it 

So cute 

Scientist Things

 

It's Monday, which means it's back to work. I'm currently getting dressed. We've already had breakfast, and I'm about to help Jayden with her research project. We're laying a transect at Sea Fan City and conducting her research there. We ended up completing both transects in that area, then took a break for about an hour, ate lunch, and now I'm about to head back out to work on my research project.

Beautiful Scenery 

I plan to complete the other half of the dock, fully finishing one side. Hopefully, one of these days—maybe tomorrow—I can complete the other side all in one go. I finished the rest of the dock and wrapped up data input, then I was done for the day. I even got ahead on reading my scientific paper, all while managing to watch two whole movies. Maybe I'll finish Interstellar tonight, if I don't fall asleep first.

The Viewsss!

Right now, I'm finishing up my blogs, then heading up to start. It was a great workday, balanced with a bit of leisure!

The Ocean Queen

After breakfast we set off on our hike to the East side of the Island to visit the Garifuna people who live on the Island! I was so excited to see where they live and immerse myself into their culture for the day! I was so excited because today was the day that they do a festival for National Ocean Day! On the way there we hiked to the very very top of the Island to the old lighthouse which is 149 meters above sea level! It was probably one of the hardest hikes I've ever done. My legs were shaking and I don't think I have ever sweat so much in my life. 

Hiking in the Jungle

149m above sea level!

Then we began hiking down the other side of the Island toward the village and we decided to sled down on big palms leaves. It was super fun until I scraped my whole right side of my leg. I was bleeding a good amount but luckily we had water to clean it up and bandaids! This is what we sled down on! It was fun but a little scary cause it was so steep and there were so many trees around! 

Mine broke :(

We finally made it to the village and it was crazy to see how different life was here! We made it just in time for the festival! We bought some necklaces from a lady there and we got some shirts for the ocean day festival. The little girls were walking around in beautiful sea creature costumes! After the festival we got to take a picture with all the little kids! Here is us taking a picture with them and the ocean queen! 

I brought lots of little bracelets with me to pass out to the kids. It was so sweet because they got so excited when I let them pick one and then they would run away and bring over 3 or 4 more kids to pick one. It was very heartwarming to see their face light up and ask me my name! One little boy in particular got so happy when I told him my name because his name was Jayden too! He ran around telling all his friends we had the same name! I ran out of the bracelets so quickly and I felt bad that not all of them got one. But luckily I also brought some copies of my dad's fishing book and a pack of coloring books and crayons too! I just wanted to bring a little something because I know how difficult it is to get stuff on this island. It is so far away from the main land with stores. 

selfie!

After the festival we were served lunch which was yellowtail, rice, beans, and plantains! It was so delicious. I was also extremely happy to finally drink a bottle of coke after a week of no soda!

YUMMY

We began our hike back to the resort and my heart was so full after this day. It was an amazing experience I will never forget! On the way back we hikes around the perimeter of the island so we could walk the beach. It was so sad to see all of the trash that has been washed up from the main land. There was thousands of plastic water bottles, flip flops, and I even saw some hair product bottles. It was everywhere and it made me sad to see that no one has done anything about it.  After a long hike back we jumped in the water and then ended the day with some hamburgers for dinner! Today was a 10/10!

This is Living

 

Today is Sunday, which means it's a fun day! However, Jaden and I are spending it a little differently since yesterday felt more like our fun day. I just finished eating breakfast, the usual beans, tortillas, bacon, and a little bit of eggs and now I’m getting ready to help Jaden with her research project. I think she’s laying down one or two transects, and after that, we’ll take a break, have lunch, and then start on my research project. I plan to survey at least half of the right side.

Aura +1Millon

Helping Jayden lay out her transect was probably the hardest part of her project—dodging corals and making sure the line was straight was a tough job. After finishing hers, we actually had time before lunch to start on mine, so we did. I had planned to measure the area of each sponge species but quickly realized that wasn’t doable. Essentially, all the data I collected had to be deleted, and I had to start over. So after lunch, I went back out and gathered fresh, usable data. I stuck to my plan and finished half of the right side of the dock.

Moreee!

Later, we went to Pelican One and a Half for an open-ocean reef dive. At first, I was really nervous watching the waves crash and feeling the current push, but once I was in the water, it wasn’t as intimidating. The reef was massive, with schools of fish everywhere and the biggest corals I’ve seen yet! I know I’ve said that before, but every day just keeps getting better. Swimming above the drop-off was surreal just looking down into a dark abyss, not knowing how deep it goes or what’s down there, honestly excited me.

School of Fishhh

After we finished, we came back and started the fun part of Sunday—choosing how to spend our leisure time and relaxing. We had planned to play card games after dinner, but everyone was tired, so we headed up to our rooms. I watched a movie and went to bed.

The Meaning of Traveling!

 

We woke up today, had breakfast, and set out on our hiking journey bright and early. Our destination: the east end Garifuna village. Our tour guide, Mauricio, had told us yesterday that they would be hosting a festival for National Ocean Appreciation Day. I was super excited, not just to visit a small village but to experience it on a day of celebration.

We set off at 9:15, allowing ourselves plenty of time to hike. At first, the journey was exhausting, and I found myself wondering if I was the only one struggling. But as we gained elevation, the cool wind hit us just right, bringing a refreshing relief, and it only got better from there.

Our Hike Through the Jungle

Our first stop was the lighthouse, where Mauricio explained that it was no longer in use. Then, we headed to the famous palm frond sledding hill, where we grabbed our boards (palm sheaths) and slid down. Mauricio thought it was crazy and not a good idea, but since Dr. Toro-Farmer and Noah had already done it, I felt confident. It was definitely a little dangerous, but also incredibly fun! Conveniently, the sledding hill led straight to the entrance of the Garifuna village.

Me and The Light House

The whole experience felt like something out of a movie. Seeing how people live day-to-day in a place so different from my own was eye-opening. I thought about the kids growing up there, knowing only island life. It’s an entirely different perspective, one you can’t truly grasp if you never leave home.

They hosted a pageant where schoolgirls dressed up to represent different environments. One girl, representing the world above water, wore pink with foliage cascading behind her, and another, dressed in gold and black, had coral-like structures extending from her back. At the end, they crowned the pageant winner, a girl named Emily, who, surprisingly, lived at the house we had hiked to on day two, south of the resort.

We talked with local kids, and Jayden had brought bracelets to give them. It was touching to see how appreciative they were and how quickly word spread that bracelets were being handed out. Unfortunately, there weren’t enough for everyone, and they disappeared fast. One little boy was especially sad that he didn’t get one, so I gave him a bracelet my mom had made me two years ago. It broke within five minutes—maybe it was just its time, or maybe he had stretched it too much—but either way, it felt good to pass it on, knowing he had that moment of appreciation, however brief. It was almost like passing down an heirloom.

Selfie with the Kids <3

Once the celebration ended, everyone started eating. Mauricio had ordered fish for us in advance, so we joined in. We were seated at the house of the family cooking for the event. They rotate cooking duties for each gathering, and if the event is large enough, all the families pitch in. The hospitality was incredible. The son of the family, who was around my age—maybe a little younger or older—welcomed us with open arms and spoke excellent English. He told us he lived in Texas and had learned English there; he was just visiting family and would be heading back soon.

We ate fresh yellowtail, fried to perfection, the exact meal I had envisioned when I knew I’d be visiting Honduras, and wow, was it good! After we finished eating, we hiked back along the coast instead of cutting through the jungle and mountains, which made for a much more enjoyable trek.

Before

After

We arrived back at exactly 2:45, and I jumped off the dock to cool off. I chatted a bit with Jayden and Noah, who were also in the water, then we all went to our rooms for a short nap. When I woke up, I finished my readings, we did a short presentation on our respective topics, and then we ate dinner.

The night sky was breathtaking, easily the prettiest stars I’ve ever seen. I even managed to capture some great photos after Noah taught me the proper settings on my phone. Now, I’m in bed, waiting to take a shower before going to sleep. I might play a little Terraria first, I’m thinking of making a melee build focused on tankiness.

Night Sky

Every day Patches the Night up.

 

This morning, I woke up bright and early to make fresh homemade tortillas again with the wonderful cook, Johanna. She makes everything look so easy, but cooking really is a science.

Making Fresh Tortillas!

After breakfast, we talked a lot about our research projects and formulated a plan to execute them. Today was exhausting—work, work, work—and incredibly stressful. At first, I spent a lot of time above ground in the hot sun, which made me very cranky. As part of my project on sponge distribution along the dock, I had to measure from the shore to the end of the dock. My plan is to oscillate between pillars, hitting both sides equally as I move outward from the shore.

Eventually, I finally got the chance to go underwater to measure depth. I ended up conducting research for about six hours straight and then helped Jaden a little with her first transect. After finishing our research for the day, we are now reading scientific documents that we have to present tomorrow.

A look at what I'm studying (one of the dock poles)

Later, we went night swimming, and it felt like something out of a dream. We saw so many creatures, including spotted manta rays, a yellow ray, and even an octopus. At first, I was pretty scared. I mean, back home, I usually stay far away from the ocean at night. But often, the things you’re most afraid of end up being the most fun!

Amazing Spotted Eagle Ray Credit( Noah Tyler)

Cooking and Corals!

 

I’m getting to this journal entry late, but better late than never. Yesterday was an action-packed day! We woke up as usual, ate breakfast, and then set off on paddleboards to explore the northern side of the island. The calm scenery stretching across the water was mesmerizing. When we beached our boards, we took a short hike and saw not one, not two, but three pink boas! Our tour guide/helper gave us some background about the island and introduced us to a variety of local fruits.

Local fruit called Noni that is very healthy for you

After that, we paddled to another inlet, put on our gear, and got ready to snorkel. This was a new area with a new reef, so I saw plenty of species and organisms I hadn’t encountered before. The coolest thing I saw was probably a spray crab lodged between two cavernosas, an incredible sight! The snorkeling spot was stunning, but also the coldest so far, so we couldn’t stay for too long.

Dr. Toro-Farmers three favorite corals found at the site.

Once we got back, we took a short break and then learned how to make homemade donuts with Johanna, our cook. There’s something special about food made with your own hands, it just tastes better! Later, we worked on our identification documents and then had dinner.

Making Donuts!!!

Of course, at night, we took our underwater flashlights and searched for interesting organisms that aren’t usually seen during the day. Later, I worked on editing and uploading my snorkeling videos so my family and friends could see everything I’ve been experiencing. Then, it was off to bed!

Best Day Ever- Spotted Eagle Ray

Today was without a doubt my favorite day so far! I went down to the kitchen to learn from the cook, Joanna how to make homemade fresh tortillas from scratch. She showed us how to make the dough and then how to flip the dough in your hands to make a perfect tortilla shape. She was an absolute pro and could do it in like 5 flips, but it took me somewhere around 100 to get it right. But they tasted SO good, like way better than the tortillas in America. Here is a picture of us struggling lol

Way harder than it looks

Then we got started on testing out our methods for our research projects. For my research project I am continuing a study from 2022 about Aspergillosis presence in sea fans. I am curious to see if it is more common in sea fans 3 years later. I collected data from about 12 sea fans today and it took me over an 2 hours because it was difficult trying to figure out the methods that work the best. The most difficult part was trying to hold a bunch of materials while trying to fight the waves. But now that I have some practice, I am ready to get started for real! Afterwards, I did some some work on my computer in the hammock swing while I waited for dinner to be ready. Tonight we had cheese stuffed empanadas and they were literally amazing! We decided to go for our first night dive and I have never done anything like this before. The scariest part for me was the fact that I couldn't see anything around me besides where my flashlight was pointing. But I got used to it quickly when I started seeing amazing animals that you never see during the day. I got to see a baby squid ink right in front of me, I saw a 2 HUGE octopus that liked to pose for pictures, Lobsters, and Pufferfish. But all of a sudden, the coolest moment of my life happened!  As I was swimming in the seagrass area a huge figure started swimming towards me. My heart was racing so much and it literally looked like an alien at first. When I got closed it turned to side and glided through the water, revealing its dots. It was as Spotted Eagle Ray!! It was the most magical, graceful, and anxious moment I've ever felt. Then another one darted by me. I never thought I would do something like this but I am so glad I conquered my fear and did it! I will never forget this night! 

Posing Octopus 

My next tattoo for sure 

Woke up to this beautiful view 

Coral day!!!

This morning I woke up at 6 to watch the sunrise and then ate some toast, eggs, bacon, watermelon, and beans for breakfast. We went out to snorkel and take pictures of stony corals specifically so that we could identify them later. I got some awesome pictures and I found a trumpet fish which is probably the weirdest looking fish I've ever seen. Next we worked on our identification for a few hours. I laid out in the sun for a little bit and then all of a sudden Josh told me to follow him to see something cool so we started walking back into the woods a little bit. When we got to a big tree stump I saw something move and it was a Pink Boa sitting on top! I got a picture next to it and I even pet its skin! I was terrified but it was awesome! Here is a picture of me! 

Pink Boa

Afterwards we grabbed some paddleboards and paddleboarded to a different part of the island where we parked the boards and snorkeled some more. It is crazy how different parts of the reef look so different! We found a massive sea urchin, probably the size of a basketball. When we got back to the resort, we ate dinner as the sun set and finished up some last minute work. Here are some pictures I got today! 

Breakfast!

Beautiful sunset 

One of my favorite coral pictures 

One Love One Blog: Days 1-3 Cayos Cochinos.

Joshua's Cayos Cochinos Memento

Day 1 on the Island

Yesterday was supposed to be our first day here at Cayos Grande but because of wave height, power, and wind the conditions weren’t right. So instead, after we landed in Roatan we took a Galaxy ferry to the main land docking at La Caiba. Our first night was really fun, we had a nice hotel called Grand Hotel Paris that was stationed right in the middle of a busy city I guess you could call it. While we were there we stocked up on snacks and walked around a little bit getting immersed in the culture and the experience. We met some of the people aiding us in our adventures like Roger, a previous manager of the resort and Mauricio, who will be spending his time here with us on Cayos Grande acting as our guide for anything we need. Although not planned I’m a little happy we got the chance to stay in La Ceiba. More exploration for me! After spending the day in La Ceiba we got up early to beat the powerful swells and made our way to Cayos Grande. The boat we took was packed with all of our luggage covered in trash bags as a makeshift waterproof. The boat was about 20ft and at times when we were at the bottom of the trough the waves were bigger than us. It was definitely an interesting trip. On the way in we stopped at Cayos Menor to visit their research facility and watch a quick video about what to expect and how to be respectful. The beach was so pretty with a bunch of mini palm trees scattered all about hosting Large Eared Bats in their fronds. Once we made it to Cayos Grande we unpacked got a quick debrief of the island and then made our ways to our rooms. The walk was so beautiful, along the side of a hill you traverse through a lush environment slowly making your way to your room. After we unpacked and got situated, we came back down to the dining hall which is the only place that has WIFI by the way. Once there we ate lunch and went over the schedule to come for the next 3 weeks. After this was the fun part…. DIVING!  Noah, an alumnus who has been on the trip before and is also a diving instructor gave us a quick crash course to diving and we were off. The diverse ecosystem once underwater was almost surreal. A whole different universe, with organisms all throughout. We explored the cove we are next to, going from right to left visiting the rocky ridge first then going to the sea fan city, a spot filled with flat rocks that are home to a bunch of sea fans. After we were done, we walked back to rinse our gear off looking for sea glass along the way. Then we chilled and ate lunch and our first day on Cayos Grande was finished.

A Black Cat I saw in La Ceiba

The Sunsets Right in Front of the Resort.

Day 2 on the Island

It’s Tuesday, Jun 10th. I woke up at 6:30 and got ready to head down to breakfast. We had a traditional meal consisting of refried beans, eggs, and tortillas with some fruit. During breakfast we discussed what our plan for day was and then went back up to our rooms to get our bathing suits on and get ready to dive. Our mission for today is to survey the cove, take pictures of any organisms we think are cool and then come back and identify them. Okay we dove way more of the cove today. I thought I had an idea of the reefs the first snorkel, but I was barely scratching the surface. We hit up way more reefs and saw a lot more species. I found a brittle star inside a vase sponge as well as some rough tube sponges which were my favorite because of their sparseness. After we came back and worked on our identification of what we took pictures of. In the middle of that we took a break and went on a hike to the north side of the island walking on top of the rocks that make up sea fan city. We kept walking down that beach and eventually ended up meeting this lovely couple, Patti and Carlos, who own a private residence right on the beach. They said they snorkel a lot and usually try to stay at their house here 7 months out of the year. We continued our walk until we arrived at the only shop on the island a Pupiri, they called it. Which in English means octopus store resembling the 8 arms as the variety the shop has to offer. We cut through the mountain on our way back arriving at this huge, beautiful house at one of the crests of the mountains. It had cashew trees, heart mango, and tamarin trees used to make the juice. When we got back, I finished my identification, presented it to the group and watched a movie to end the day.

A Pretty Finger Coral is saw When Snorkeling

Me Standing on Water?!

Day 3 on the Island

Today I woke up tired. I had a stomachache in the middle of the night but luckily it subsided by the time I woke up. Today’s plan is to snorkel once again, surveying the area but specifically looking at hard corals. We will take pictures and identify them. I’m also snorkeling the dock, the spot my research project is going to be at. I’m a little scared because the poles of the dock are littered with fire corals and their stinging relatives so I’m wearing my dive skin today. Which is kind of exciting, it feels professional. Right now, I’m just fine-tuning my identification document and waiting till we hit the water! The dive was as beautiful as ever. We focused on hard coral, finding and taking pictures of at least 13 different species. I also dove the dock which was super cool. The sponges that live there are super different compared to the ones on the reefs. I was so enriched I stayed in the water even when everyone got out. I was mesmerized! After we worked on identification and then went on a little paddle board trip to the south end of the island. We beached our boards and went for a dip; we all brought our mask so we could see the reefs over there which hosted a huge Siderastrea siderea which was the biggest coral I’ve seen so far. I’m ending the night now, finishing up dinner and some work. I saw my first Pink Boa, its colors are so pretty! Shimmering in the sun hues of green and purple. Probably going to look at the dock later because all the creatures come out at night. Yesterday I saw a spotted eagle ray which was so cool!

The spotted Eagle Ray I saw from the dock

          Me Touching the Pink Boa!!!

     One of the Many Sponges on the Dock

Most beautiful place on earth

Today I woke up at 5:30 and went down to watch the sunrise on the dock.

For breakfast I had fresh cut mango, pineapple, and watermelon with breakfast

tacos with eggs and beans. It tastes so good and healthy too. After, I got

ready to go out snorkeling. Today we took tons of pictures of everything we

thought was interesting. This is my favorite picture I took today of a sponge!

After about four hours, the bell rang that lunch was ready. We had chicken rice and salad.

It was so good! Then we got working on our identification work. I started a Google document

of every single picture I took with the scientific name and a few facts about each organism.

Afterwards we went on a hike around the north side of the island. It was so beautiful.The trail led to these huge rocks with tidal pools with hermit crabs all over.

Here is me on the huge rock!

On our hike, we also found a cashew tree. We grabbed a few to roast out in the sun and try

to eat them later this week. When we got back, we opened up some fresh coconuts for us to

drink and eat the insides. Besides the consistency, it tasted so good!We ate fresh empanadas for dinner and then presented our identification documents to share

all the photos that we took and the research that we did on them. At the end of the day we went

out on the deck and shined flashlights into the water. We were able to see a

Spotted Eagle ray dart through the water! I can’t wait to get started on my research project

especially now that I have been here and explored so many areas of the reef!

Traveling to the Island

This morning I woke up around 5:45 AM to the sound of a crazy bird in La Ceiba! It was so cool to hear! We walked to a local coffee shop and I got a Mokka (mocha) and it was probably one of

the best coffees I’ve ever had. Here is a picture! We went back to the hotel where they had a breakfast buffet and finally we got picked up and drove to Sambo Creek, which is a small Garifuna village where everyone who lives there knows each other and their family. We put our luggage in plastic bags and duct-taped it shut to keep water from getting in. We loaded the boat and started making our way to the Cochino Islands. It was beautiful because when you looked back, you could see the huge mountains of Honduras. We made a quick stop on the way at Cayos Menor, the small island and it was the coolest thing! They were setting up the games for the Spanish version of Survivor! I literally grew up watching Survivor so that was a pretty cool moment for me. Finally, we made it to Cayos Grande, where I will be staying for the next three weeks and I am still in shock at how beautiful the island is. I took this picture and it

still doesn’t even fully capture the beauty. After unloading our bags, we were shown our rooms and I am absolutely in love with mine. I got a room to myself with windows that open up to the ocean. The windows are shutters and they always stay open so I can hear the waves when I go to sleep. It took me about an hour to unpack my bags and then we had some lunch. We got in the water after and did our first snorkel. It was so beautiful. I can’t even describe it. Seeing all of it in person is nothing like the pictures you see online. You have to be there to understand the beauty of the reefs. Just look at this picture I took of a Staghorn Coral! Today was an amazing first day in Cayos Cochinos!