Island Times Blog

Biologist’s Log – July 2, 2013

After breakfast we headed to Ginger Island for a morning dive at one of our favorite sites called “Alice in Wonderland.” (continued…)

Due to its isolated location and sometimes challenging conditions, we don’t get to dive there very often. But today was an exception, as conditions were great. This site is unique because it is a less common spur and groove reef that is very well developed and home to a wide array of fish and invertebrate species. It is one of the healthiest and most pristine reefs in the BVIs. In addition to numerous and diverse corals and fish, the highlight of our dive was seeing a large spotted eagle ray. For many of our students, this was their first encounter with an eagle ray, especially one that was so large. After our dive we headed to another one of SeaTrek’s favorite spots, Salt Island, where we went on a long hike that included beautiful views of the surrounding islands and the salt ponds that give the island its name. After a quick snack, we were back in the water for a tour of the seagrass beds and patch reefs of the island’s Salt Pond Bay. The area was teeming with juvenile fish and invertebrates. We also collected some algae samples and investigated them back at the boat with our microscopes. Before we knew it we were eating dinner and heading out for another night snorkel. At dinner we couldn’t help but think that we only have a few days left together…what a great adventure it has been!