Belize Day Seven: Transition Day

May 27, 2013

Belize Day Seven: Transition Day

Pack up all our bags. Last breakfast at the Snack Shack. We’ve got a handful of people not feeling well and Gabby, my girl that’s up for anything, is vomiting. Shoot. Meet Jo and Polly. They are wonderful Brittish women. Polly is the founder of the non-profit ReefCI that we are being taken care of by on the island, and Jo is their office personnel that moved to Belize six years ago and never left. They inform me I’m getting my Advanced Cert. Sweet! I didn’t think I’d be diving, especially if I had to pay for it out of pocket. Then they are very patient with us as we pull our pharmacy needs together last minute: dramomine, Gatorade, pepto-bismol. We board the boat and spend the next ninety minutes on choppy seas, slamming every-so-often hard onto our benches. That can’t be good for our bodies.

The trip went fast enough though, as I am chatting with one of our new group additions. Three other women are on the boat with us. Michelle is a late forty-something tough ass who now works for Sales Force, but has a resume boasting a position with the Coast Guard, as a Master Diver for Royal Caribbean, a mountain biking enthusiast, aquarium caretaker, you name it. Needless to say, she has some crazy stories and they are always peppered with a curse word now and then that comically take me by surprise. I like her. Vikki is from London and Grace is from Toronto. They’re a little less talkative.

An island appears on the horizon and grows with each passing minute. One can tell it must be sheltered by reef, as waves break against some underwater barrier beyond it. The island is tiny, only an acre in size, but just big enough for comfort. A large building on one side houses the kitchen, dining area, and several rooms. Cabanas line the perimeter of the island to the other side where another building shelters diving gear and staff rooms. In the middle of the island, hammocks and a volleyball net are strewn up between palm trees. I look at the faces of our group and all but one or two look overwhelmed rather than excited. Like I said, it’s transition day, everyone’s feeling a little overwhelmed and even a little sick with the stomach bug, but things will change.

And they do. We get lunch and a briefing and then those of us getting our advanced certification immediately take to the water so that our instructor, Simon, can see where our skill and comfort levels lie. It is a nice easy dive. We watch Jayson cull five or six lion fish, I spot a juvenile trunk fish and my favorite, the flamingo tongue. We surface to choppy waters and are thrown back and forth as one by one we emerge onto the boat.

It’s a quick boat ride back to the island where our Open Waters are all in their dive gear for the first time and huddled around Tracy at the dock to practice their skills. Alli is absolutely extatic, smiling and laughing. It’s wonderful to see her so happy. Gabby is feeling better as well and watches for a while before putting on her snorkel gear to get into the water with them. I look forward to diving with her in the morning. My stomach is acting up a bit now, too, and so I go find a hammock to curl in to.

Later in the evening I join Michelle and Vikki on the main building’s roof to watch the sunset. It glows hot orange and is engulfed by clouds before it ever makes it past the horizon. In the breaking waters below a large triggerfish is exhibiting some strange feeding behaviors and is shadowed by four or five green and blue parrot fish. The bell rings and we make our way down stairs for a presentation about ReefCI history, basic reef ecology, local threats to the reef, and fishing management. I’m filled with nostalgia, being able to preempt every explanation and question asked thanks to my courses in New Zealand.

After the presentation, I am not feeling well and retire to my room early to sleep out whatever bug has infiltrated our group. Tomorrow is a new day, I am so excited to o diving, and I hope to be feeling better.