I realize I
haven’t posted any updates in quite a while, and I’m SO sorry to those of you
who have been following my blog!!
Two weekends ago our group traveled for two hours to the capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, where we toured the National Office of Underwater Cultural Heritage. There, we listened to a lecture by Charlie Beeker, a professor from Indiana University who can only best be described as a crusty pirate! We got to see some very cool preserved cannons, navigation tools, swords, kitchen utensils, and many more treasures that were discovered aboard sunken ships. We even got to see an anchor that was recovered from a ship of Christopher Columbus!
Two weekends ago our group traveled for two hours to the capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, where we toured the National Office of Underwater Cultural Heritage. There, we listened to a lecture by Charlie Beeker, a professor from Indiana University who can only best be described as a crusty pirate! We got to see some very cool preserved cannons, navigation tools, swords, kitchen utensils, and many more treasures that were discovered aboard sunken ships. We even got to see an anchor that was recovered from a ship of Christopher Columbus!
After visiting Santo Domingo, we drove to the city of
Bayahibe. Located just off the shore of Bayahibe is an island called Catalina
Island where we explored for ourselves the shipwreck of Captain Kidd, a Scottish sailor who was tried and executed for piracy. We
snorkeled around the “underwater museum,” finding cannons and other artifacts.
Not only were the remains of the shipwreck a spectacular sight, but also were
the coral reefs and vibrant fish swimming below me! We spent the rest of our
day relaxing on the beautiful beach of Catalina Island. That evening, the group
returned to the hotel on the mainland of Bayahibe and had dinner on the beach.
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| photo taken from Catalina Island |
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| The view while having dinner on the beach |
Here is a link to the song if you'd like to check it out:
The
following day, May 19th, we explored two caves called “Chicho” and
“Padre Nuestro.” Chicho is an underground cave that the Tainos, the indigenous
people of the Dominican Republic, used for water. We had the opportunity to snorkel
in the 20ft-deep freshwater of the cave. This was by far one of the coolest
experiences I have ever had. The cave looked like something off of the cover of
a National Geographic magazine. The giant rocks underneath our feet were
striking and the enormity of the cave ceiling was remarkable.
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| Chicho |
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