Location: Mountain Point, Virgin Gorda
Hi guys! It’s Evie, your skipper for today. Today was yet another rotation day but with a bit of a twist. We started off our morning bright and early by sending off our laundry with Mike, followed by bagels and yogurt for breakfast. Then we got ready, waited for a dingy, and headed out for a 4-hour dive rotation just around the corner from our boat. This was our first open water dive, which means it was deeper, and we got to see a lot more fish and coral. To start off, though, we had to practice some of our skills in the deeper water, including taking off our masks and clearing them underwater. This is definitely the most tricky skill we have had to learn, but we all completed it- even Ellie, who got over her fears! On our dive, everyone got to see such cool animals- Henry, Robert, Ella, and I saw a HUGE lobster, and Sipora, Ben, and Owen saw a barracuda. Being underwater and getting to immerse ourselves in a whole different world is easily one of the coolest things we have done so far. After we finished, it was lunchtime! We headed back to our boat, and we had a visitor- Mike! We all got to chat with him, and he stayed for lunch.
We had Tuscan white bean soup, which many of us tried for the first time. We said our goodbyes to Mike, then prepared to take our final exam for the PADI certification. We all pushed through, then got to relax until it was time for the next rotation- tying knots and making bracelets! Gwen walked us through the steps, but some of us struggled, including Miles and Arden. Luckily, Owen came to the rescue! He helped us figure out how to make a “Turks head” bracelet, which was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. We started by making them on our hands, but then Sophia and Ellie had the idea to make them on our ankles, which Henry helped with as well. We all showered, then Jack and Makena started cheffing up our “summertime Thanksgiving” for dinner. The meal was gas, which the seagulls definitely agreed to, and then we had a free night filled with card games, journals, and shared laughter.