After a day of travels, I am filled with excitement, but I am also officially exhausted. Today was a long day of here-to-there (from car, to shuttle, to airplane, to van, to boat), but every leg of the journey was enjoyable!

Once in Belize, I noticed how humid it is, and that is because we are in the beginning of the wet season. There are palm trees galore, and the buildings are such vibrant colors! We stopped at a shop after leaving the airport, and I got some Belizean snacks that I can’t wait to try. The boat ride to Glover’s Reef was longer than expected but a beauty to behold. I saw so many different shades of blue! My favorite part of the ride was crossing the barrier reef. As we approached the barrier reef, we could see the whites of the waves crashing into the reef crest. Our boat was navigated through a channel in the reef. And on that channel was a small island packed with tourists. I attached a photo I took of the island, like a little paradise out at sea!

The Glover’s Research Station is amazing! The facilities are just what we need, and all of the people here are so friendly! Hermit crabs and other crabs walk around the island like squirrels on Rice campus, so I’ll have to remember to watch where I step.

Tomorrow, we start our morning at 6:30 and have our first day out on the reef! I am completely new to snorkeling, so I am excited to get my feet wet (pun intended). I will keep my eyes peeled for any corallimorphs, zoanthids, or anemones!

For now, I am going to get as much sleep as I can to prepare for the busy week ahead out on the reef!

– McKenna Castleberry