Island Times Blog

Day 3 / June 18 – So today was one for the record books!  I am so proud of this group of students for their unbelievable enthusiasm, energy, and attitudes. We truly made the most of today, and even as I write this, it’s hard for me to believe how much we accomplished. We started the day with a yummy build-your-own burrito breakfast and then hiked the Reef Bay Trail, voted one of the Caribbean’s Top Ten Hikes. The trail included some more sugar plantation ruins, as well as some petroglyphs made by the Amerindians that once inhabited St. John. And of course, we observed dozens of unique plant and animal species. We got some great photos that will be posted on Facebook shortly. After lunch we cooled off with a swim in Little Lameshur Bay and our dive instructor, Angie, and Divemaster Candidate, Bucky, led the students in practicing swim and skin diving skills as part of their NAUI Intro to Scientific Diving Specialty Course. Then we headed back to camp for an invertebrate classification lab, followed by a yummy snack of local fruits – mango, papaya, and pineapple. After dinner and showers, we learned about the Tektite underwater habitat missions of the late 1960s, which is the reason VIERS was built in the first place. It was so cool to experience this important history of scuba and to be right where it all took place. We toured the Tektite Museum that is housed right on the VIERS premises – and we’re more motivated than ever to board our SeaTrek vessel and begin our dive training. After some free time, we turned in early to get some good sleep. What a fantastic day!!!