Guess what? Libna, Lee, Chris, Tommy, Porshai, Michelle and Josh are now Open Water SCUBA Certified! Meanwhile, Lulu, Dina and Denise are finishing their Adventure Diver Certification and Jess is working on her Discover SCUBA!


This compass skills dive was our last Open Water certification dive! Some compasses were on our Breathing Control Devices (BCDs) and some had their compasses on their wrists. We need to know how to use them so that we wouldn't wind up losing our way in the ocean, which is pretty easy to do. Anyways, enough of that. Here are the Sea TURTLES thoughts on their certifications:

I am excited for everyone's certification. I'm glad everyone had an opportunity to work with a PADI instructor because when I was certified, I didn't get this kind of opportunity to come to such an amazing place to get certified. I only had dives in a pond in Connecticut and dives at Gloucester Beach. I had four dives in total for my certification. Everyone here is lucky to have this great opportunity to be certified out here.
-Denise

I am really excited for everyone. I was certified in a pond that had no visibility. This is an amazing opportunity to dive here rather than in the cold weather in
Boston. Im glad because I had Sarah as an instructor and I know she is a wicked good teacher.
-Dina

Im basically really excited. Congratulations to you all. Yeah, just... wow.
-Lulu

I'm happy that I was able to dive on this trip and see these beautiful animals. I'm excited for everyone who got their certification and I can't wait to be certified in the future!
-Jess

I am so relieved. I got it done! I successfully did every task. Now, I'm anticipating a future in diving in either the G.O.T., Bahamas, and other places.
-Porshai

It hasn't hit me yet but I'm relieved. I'm excited to explore and dive
without having to go over dive skills.
-Tommy

I feel accomplished. It was difficult for me to start diving in the beginning but I proved some people wrong. Now, I can't wait to dive in the G.O.T.
-Libna

Getting dive certified, I felt great. For the first time, I got to go down in the water and all my life I've been snorkling. Instead of floating at the surface, I got to go down to the bottom and stay down. I get to absorb so much more down there.
-Chris

I am still in disbelief! The idea of being certified is still settling in! I'm extremely excited though, we finally accomplished something that we worked so hard for!!! I can't wait to see more of this whole new world and go on some more spectacular adventures!
-Lee

So I finally got certified and I feel awesome. I feel like an expert in diving and its all thanks to our dive instructors Mike and Sarah. We all feel confident diving in open water and we have come a long way from our first pool session. Being dive certified, I will start to get more involved with diving environments and meeting new people so I can experience new adventures. Getting certified is one of the best things to happen to me since getting my learners permit
-Josh

I have to be honest. I don't feel any different. I'm one of those people who need time and experience to fully realize something. Other than that, it is great to finally dive and not have to go over skills anymore. I'm pretty sure that once I get my certification I.D., it'll hit me and I will say "Wow. I'm a certified diver." I will cherish these memories and never forget any of them.
-Michelle

Today was a big day for all of us. It is now our time to make adventurous dives and our next dive will take place at the Sapona (photo above), a wreck that has a lot of history to it [last year's Sea TURTLEs posted about it here]. We will be diving in the daylight and at night!

-2011 Sea TURTLE Expedition writing from the Bahamas

Last night, the Sea TURTLE II team landed in Miami and boarded the R/V Coral Reef II. We are all safe and sound, not to mention EXCITED!!!

My first plane ride EVER was SPECTACULAR! Thanks very much to my super buddy Chris who let me have his window seat and told me all the wonders there are to being 4000 ft above sea level! I felt like I could touch the clouds!




We arrived pretty late with a wake up time of 6:45 am so we cozied into our beds (after hitting our heads a multitude of times on the low ceiling for those of us with top bunks, like me.)


After breakfast, we left port traveling down the Miami River and made the crossing over to the BAHAMAS!!! At first everything was smooth sailing, the weather was beautiful and we congregated on the ship's bow to enjoy the ride.

We have so many photos to share but not enough internet connection to do it! [Note: these photos are put in from previous expeditions.] Before we left Miami, Dina and Lulu had said they saw a manatee and ever since, we've been on the look out for more. I have still yet to see one of these mysterious elusive sea cows but I am much excited to!

But by lunch time, most EVERYONE was queasy. I for one, spent a good chunk of quality time with my earphones in, eyes closed, and knocked out in the salon to avoid the spinning headache that the waves were giving me. Later, I migrated to my cabin where everyone else had gone to lie down to do the same.

I woke up to Jenna telling me, "We're here." ...And when I looked outside, I couldn't believe it. The scenery in the Bahamas is GORGEOUS!!! The islands would be ever the more breath taking without some of the construction going on along the coastlines. Condos are cool and all but clearing all the room to build them does a lot of damage to the natural ecosystems (mangroves and such) which in turn disrupts the habitats of many fish.

There's so much to talk about that I haven't even gotten to diving yet! OUR FIRST OPEN WATER DIVE WAS TODAY!!! No time left, more to come tomorrow!

-Lee

We are almost there. In just a few short days, the Sea TURTLE teens and instructors will be together in Miami and then on to the island of Bimini in the Bahamas. Everyone has put in a lot of time and work to get to this point: applications, interviews, seven weeknight classes, three pool sessions, awesome guest lecturers, SCUBA quizzes and tests and (of course) blogging. And all the while, teens and instructors alike have had to balance Sea TURTLE with family and school and work.


Amid all of the expedition preparation, tonight we took some time to reflect on what still lies ahead of us: a ten-day expedition aboard a research vessel in the Bahamas. As a group, we all spoke about what we were most excited about and also got a chance to share anything we were nervous about. Here are some of the things that we shared:

Sleeping on a boat, tasting new foods, seeing the fish and the water—everything! –Denise

Diving in general and growing closer to everyone over 10 days! –Dina


Night diving, meeting Bahamian teens and a week away from technology (like cell phones) –Lulu


Everything but especially the food! –Chris


Being in a new environment—the Bahamas! –Libna


Getting there and experiencing a new place! –Jess


Getting away from the city air and “chillin with the wind in my face” in the Bahamas! –Porshai


My first time on a plane, on a boat, being in another country and swimming in the ocean! –Lee


Everything! Just excited to get to be in the program and get to this point! –Josh


When I heard about night diving, I was like “ahhhh” (in a good way). And being away from my life in Boston –Michelle


All the SCUBA and night diving! –Tommy


The reactions on everyone’s faces as they experience the Bahamas! –Mike, Divemaster


Having the teens meet the ship and it’s Captains! –Sarah, Expedition Leader


Watching how teens adapt to a new environment! And experiencing a beautiful island together! –Jenna


New experiences for everyone and sharing this big adventure together! -Dave




Being on the boat during a natural disaster. –Denise


The night dive. –Dina, Chris


Having my SCUBA gear fall off in the ocean. –Libna


Seasickness. –Mike


Being homesick for my mother, father and brother. –Porshai


Everything, bust especially forgetting to pack something important like SCUBA mask or passport. –Lee


The plane. And using the ship’s bathroom and breaking it. –Josh, Michelle


Telling my coach I’ll be out of the country. –Tommy


That teens forget their passports. –Jenna

Hello world, Sea TURTLE II Member: Lee, reporting!

I am a veteran teen intern at the New England Aquarium. I started in October 2008 in the Visitor Education department speaking to visitors and delivering presentations. I transitioned into the Community Programs department to work more closely with tide pool animals and traveling with them to educate children at schools and YMCA's about them. Finally, I landed in the Teen Programs office where I currently assist in filing, data entry, and organizing events for our teen social events. I assist behind the scenes from time to time, too; I get the all around experience!

I am so excited about this entire experience; I apologize for being a little eccentric! I still have a hard time believing that I'm going to be scuba diving in the Bahamas in just a little over a month!

The road to get here has been long and arduous... Group interview (Josh mentioned those group interviews here), individual interview, SWIMMING, pressure, class time, did I mention swimming?


The swim test to ensure our safety and comfort level in the water is a whopping 4 laps and a 10 minute tread. No breaks, no touching the walls in the tread. That's scary.

I'm not the best swimmer in the world. In fact, I only learned how to swim just recently, for the sake of being able to participate in this once in a lifetime opportunity. The thought that I am the worst swimmer on the team has constantly plagued me and despite all my practices day in and day out at the pool, I still couldn't find the confidence to believe in myself completely. This is where the TEAM comes in. I love these guys!!! For cheering me on and steering me away from hitting the walls of the pool, supporting me when I needed it most, and most of all believing in me when I didn't believe in
myself.

On the day of the swim test, Michelle and Lulu volunteered to go first. They are amazing swim team swimmers. The bar was high, despite the test not being a race. Watching them made me extremely nervous for my own turn. Who would go next? Jessica volunteered us both because she KNEW I could do it; there was no doubt about it.

I swallowed all my fear and got into the pool. I wasn't sure I would have the stamina for the four continuous laps. When I reached the wall of the deep end for the last time, I couldn't even believe that I was done!

Next was the ten minute water tread. There were a few times I let my fears race for a split second through my head but I was so close to finishing the swim test, I wasn't about to let a little water sink me!

Every once in a while, I would catch a glimpse of Jenna and Sarah telling me I could do it and to keep going. When I heard Michelle and Jessica tugging me to tell me I was done, I couldn't believe it at all!

But I passed the swim test!!! The biggest hurdle for me so far was this swim test that I was preparing over a month for! [Read about other Sea TURTLEs' experiences with the swim tests here.]

And now it's onto the actual scuba stuff, I can't wait to see what else adventures and challenges Sea TURTLE brings me next. With the team and the program, I'm sure everything from here on will be fun and exciting!

-Lee, signing out