Hello, everyone! My name is Mary and I’m one of the Dive Master Interns here at Rocket Frog! It’s been almost a month since I first got here and boy has it been a great one!
Before I get into how awesome it is to be in Costa Rica I will tell you a little bit about myself. I’m originally from Sioux Falls, SD, currently live in Mankato, MN, and call Guanacaste, Costa Rica my home! My passion in life is working with animals of all types, which is why diving is so important to me. Currently my goal in life is to work as a conservationist with either pandas or lions. Yes, I do realize that both of those animals do not live underwater, but that doesn’t stop me from living life in the moment! Soon I will be going back to school to finish my degree in Zoology and then we will see where life takes me!
Now enough about me, let’s talk about being a Dive Master Intern! Holy cow, what a workout! The transformation my body has taken is beyond words. Fat has turned to muscle, laziness has turned to dedication, and hobby has turned into passion. I can’t stress enough how rewarding this experience has been and will continue to be. I’ve met so many people, experienced the ocean with so many animals, made so many friends, and had so many unforgettable experiences.
Costa Rica is known for its abundance of marine life but I never expected the extent of its reputation. I’ve seen whales, dolphins, sharks, fish, octopi, sea snakes, rays, and more! I’ve titled this blog post, “School is in session!” because of the many schools of fish I’ve found myself in. Yesterday I joined a school of over one thousand fish that thoroughly enjoyed my company. It was so euphoric that when the fish finally departed I realized quickly how close I was to the bottom without even knowing it because of the density of fish around me. Only a couple days before this experience our boat, “The Pacific Express” found itself in the middle of a pod of over 200 playful dolphins. Also, since I’ve been here, I’ve had multiple boat rides where we were greeted by humpback whales that were more than happy to show their stuff by breaching the surface and even getting within a couple feet of our boat! ¡Qué divertido!
For now I need to end this blog post. I could easily break the keyboard with all the stories I have, but I will save them for another day and spare Mike and Nere the expense of needing to buy a new keyboard. Hasta luego, blog readers! I will write to you all soon!
♥ Mary Panda
