"Putting on my wetsuit, booties, and Scuba gear I was ready to go. The boat swayed as my fellow divers did back rolls into the water. It was now my turn. I put my regulator in and leaned back.

We descended the North East Wall to the reef below. It was remarkable. To my left I could see fish swimming in and out of the coral covered reef and to my right was the tantalizing open water. We hovered over the wall of the reef. Our mission was clear: find lobsters. We had been told lobsters like to hide in small crevices in coral but that to look for their antennas that protrude out and give away their hiding places. Once my fellow divers and I found a lobster we had to sex it (if a woman, determine if she was caring eggs) and then size it. In order to size a lobster you had to coax it out of its hiding spot.  Once out of its hiding spot, we had to measure its carapace and total length. This was not an easy job but we were well equipped with a “lobster molester,” which made it easier to provoke them out of their holes. Equipped with our tools and knowledge we were ready to find some lobsters.

I am happy to share that I was the first diver to spot a lobster during this dive! I found it, or should I say her, at roughly 15 meters. She was 25 centimeters in length and carrying eggs, a very good sign. I continued searching for other lobsters for the remainder of the dive but had no luck. At the end of the dive, we found a total of six lobsters, four of which were females carrying eggs. Our results were very positive because of the presence of pregnant females we found although, according to Polly, even no data is still data. This lobster survey experience was a great way to spend my last day on the island, and I was able to contribute to a greater cause." Written by Samantha Cloud, March 2012

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