Diver surfacing beside science skiff at dawn

Pale dawn light skims across the water surface in Pinar del Río, catching the wet texture of a black neoprene wetsuit as a research diver breaks through the waves. Sidelight highlights the sheen of droplets on the rubber hood and the matte finish of the diving mask. Above, dramatic clouds stack in layers of grey and soft orange, casting shadows that fall across the churning water. The diver's head emerges just beside the fiberglass hull of a small science skiff, where a metal railing rests along the gunwale. Water ripples outward from the body, distorting the reflection of the sky on the wet season surface. A regulator hose hangs loosely against the chest, ending in a mouthpiece that rests near the collar.