Ricon!

 In the history of all weekend trips, this one had to be the best one ever. Seeing Cabo Rojo and snorkeling in Ricon back-to-back was unbelievably beautiful. We saw all kinds of parrotfish, snappers, grunts, squirrelfish, and corals. Sadly, tons of them were covered in algae overgrowth or dead due to disease, bleaching, or a die-off. Protecting ecosystems like these are so valuable and important as they create not only a home but a viable food source for several organisms to live off of. We saw tons of juvenile organisms way up in the rocks because they didn't have places that could provide them proper shelter, like this juvenile eel. Hopefully in the near future, Ricon can become a vibrant and colorful reef again and Brin back an abundance of wildlife to the area. Besides the snorkeling, we got to go shopping too and pick up some souvenirs (I got more shirts of course) and had a nice dinner out with the group once again. I'm ready for week two and can't believe just how fast this trip is going!