Mid-Point of the Mission
Day 4 marks the halfway point of our mission, which saddens us as we are not ready to start wrapping things up just yet. I’m only just beginning to get started….
Today I had a series of preparations for corals yet to come to us from the Upper Keys seawall repair project sites, so while I was scrubbing and pruning the seabed for the next round of transplants, a small troup of reef characters decided to become my “pack” for the day. The symphony of colors included a yellowhead wrasse, a bluehead wrasse and a spanish hogfish who quickly became my buddies following me everywhere I went to scrub. They eagerly, and often agressively, kept vigil while I scrubbed, awaiting a snack of a worm or shelfish that might come available during my work, some may even have been snacking on the algal turf I uprooted. While I was working and tapping the bottom, my troup and I soon attracted more of a cast which included a beautiful hogish, dark brown coney with irridescent blue spots and eventually a french angelfish. Everyone of them wanted a “piece” of the action, literally. This cast of characters followed me everywhere I went for the final hours of my dive and I was sad to have to leave them behind, I was getting used to these guys taking up residence under my chin and awaiting the next bare patch of reef to graze over.
We received a visit today by a camerman from NBC 6 Miami who interviewed us inside the habitat and captured us at work on the reef, and we provided a successful live interview via webcam and phone just before noon. Look for a follow up segment on NBC 6 this Monday.
The days events also included a sighting of 15 spotted eagle rays swimming by in formation, and we hope that Abel captured something of this grand event. A turtle visited our transplant site and we planted several more corals into the transect sites. This evening we are inside the habitat, grazing on our own snacks, and watching a small turtle peeping in our view port, while the two smaller goliath groupers continue to delight us by cruising proudly, in tight formation by each view port while transiting around the habitat, (be sure to check the gazebo webcam, because they also made a guest appearance there earlier tonight for Ken’s mom while he was talking to her).
The seas have picked up throughout the day today, and we’re feeling the pressure waves or surges on our ear drums while inside the habitat tonight, but the water is still blue and crystal clear and feeling a bit cooler now. The crew is pleasantly sharing sea stories and dive legends, I believe I could be lulled to sleep listening to these shanties, so I suppose it’s time to rest again and get ready for another exciting and eventful day tomorrow. Rest well until the morn.
lauri mac, aquanaut
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