What a fantastic day for stony corals! We had an early start from the Belize zoo, and we were on the boat to Glovers by 8:00. I loved watching the color of the water change as we went deeper and deeper. There’s a special place in my heart for Galveston beaches, but nothing can compare to the perfect turquoise and deep blue of the Caribbean. We even saw a Green Sea Turtle!

Two and a half hours later, we arrived in paradise. I never want to leave Glovers! After a safety briefing, tour, and lunch, it was finally time for the water. We got all geared up in our dive skins, but I sadly missed the dorky group picture (sorry mom).

We swam out to the first couple patch reefs and got to explore. The reefs were amazing! There was so much to see, although I’m certain my untrained eye missed most of it. Adrienne helped me identify a few stony corals, and after a few very wrong guesses on my part, I’m feeling more comfortable with identification.

Two coral highlights from the reef include Millipora complanata (Fire Coral) and Acropora palmata (Elkhorn Coral). Fire Coral stings if you touch it, so I’m very glad I know what it looks like now. The Elkhorn Coral was a treat to see because this species is endangered.

The stony corals didn’t end after we got out of the water! Before dinner, we walked across the island and visited a coral graveyard (I like to call it the skeleton pile). Imagine a huge pile of rocks that are actually preserved corals; it was pretty amazing.

Adrienne taught us to identify at least 11 coral species from the skeletons alone, so I am excited to see them alive out on the reef tomorrow. It was an amazing experience to be able to study real coral on land, without having to worry about snorkeling.

In the evening, I gave my taxon presentation about stony corals. It was nice to have an entire day dedicated to my taxon group, and I feel like I learned so much. Can’t wait for another exciting day tomorrow!