Everglades USA Exped – Day 21

Back to Fort Lauderdale

Last night, we again slept outside on deck of Pangaea. I love it to stay the night outside, to feel the fresh air, see the stars and hear the waves and the wind. It lets me sleep well. In the morning at 5 o’clock we woke up and sailed east, eventually stopping just a few miles from the shore of Miami Beach. Here, we had our last dive to an underwater mausoleum called Neptune Memorial Reef. With cemetery gates and statues of lions an large columns, this is one of the most unique dive spots on Earth. High waves and a significant current made the jump from Pangaea into the open Atlantic ocean a special experience. The current provided quite a challenge. If you dive in strong current, you have to feel and understand it. It can really disorient you. I learned to dive on the ground and behind rocks and reefs where the current is not as strong.

After the A.M. dive, we sailed on to Fort Lauderdale, which served as both the beginning and end of our expedition. As soon as we pulled into the marina, we got started on hosing down the boat and scrubbing off the thick layer of salt that covered every single railing, and surface. The boat is now cleaned, tidy and the staff got some grocery shopping done. Tonight, Mike says we will prepare an “expedition end party” and celebrate till the first person has to leave to go the airport in the morning. Although the thought in the background that this marks the end of our expedition, we will surely enjoy this last night all together. And we are all looking forward to the future, to projects, meeting, and new adventures. The knowledge we soaked in and the experience we each gained from the expedition is sure to change all of our lives and open new opportunities. Let's celebrate!

-Livio