Home Sweet Home!

Hello everyone,

Today Mr. Daly and Ms. Post woke us up at 5:45 and what would be a very long day started. We got ready and made sure that we had everything packed and that there was nothing left behind in the dorms. Once we had all of our things packed, we took our suitcases out to the common room, where we waited for Stan and Liz to meet us with the vans. At their arrival, we all took our luggage outside and put it in the vans. We all went to the dining hall, where we had our last breakfast at the Island School. Since it was too early and no one had prepared anything for us, we dined on cereal. We had the usual variety of cereals but we only had a small amount per person since we only had what had been left from the previous time we had cereal for breakfast. Then it came time to leave; we had one last walk around the Island School and got in the vans, nine in each.

When we left the Island School, the sun was starting to peak over the horizon. We made our way through the small town and onto Queen’s Highway, saying goodbye to all the places that many of us may not see again in our lives. We got to the airport and took all of our bags out of the vans and sat, waiting while Ms. Post and Mr. Daly checked us all in. The Rock Sound Airport is basically one big room full of chairs, a counter for check in at one corner and a metal detector at the opposite corner by the door that leads to the runway. The waiting room was pretty much full, with us taking up almost all of the chairs. We waited for about 45 minutes until we were told that our plane was ready. So, we said our heartfelt goodbyes to Liz and Stan – thanking them for the countless hours they spent making our experience as life-changing and influential as possible – and boarded our plane to Nassau. The plane was significantly bigger than the one we had taken to Eleuthera (and there was actually air conditioning.

Leaving Eleuthera!

We sang the Bahamian National Anthem in the airport and won a prize!

Remembering back to the first day in the water... sigh

After a 30 minute ride, we landed in Nassau. We were all excited because we knew that there would be Wi-Fi there and the opportunity for us to buy food that we eat back home (i.e. Snickers, Butterfingers, Donuts, etc.). When we were waiting by the baggage claim, everyone was on his or her phones, and a lot of people were checking their college decisions. Luckily, there were no tears, so the hours of travel and layovers ahead were still filled with laughter and merry times. Everyone was giddy on their way through customs because we all knew that, on the other side of the door, lied the mother load of junk food that we were all craving. As we walked up the stairs, we could see all the restaurants: Dunkin Donuts, Wendy’s, and many others. We knew that we had a long time till the next flight but we had food available, so we weren’t too upset. Once we put all of our stuff down, we were allowed to go get food. Many people went to Dunkin Donuts, others to Wendy’s, others ate pizza and many other things. After getting food, we all sat by our and wait until our departure, many of us napping or enjoying our recently established connection to the outside world via Wi-Fi. When the time came, we boarded the plane and we were on our way to Atlanta.

When we landed in Atlanta, everyone was excited about the same things as in Nassau plus one thing: cellular service. We had already gone through customs in Nassau so we made our way to our gate, where we could set our stuff down and wait for the flight. A lot of us called home and texted friends, but the pressing issue of hunger presented itself. The Atlanta airport has so many options for food; pretty much everything that we eat back home we could find at the airport. We had four hours to wait until our flight left so some people ate a lot. Most of the time was spent sitting at the gate where we could charge our phones and sit down. We all enjoyed our last day together as a group, relishing the little time we had left together. Everyone was cracking jokes and thinking about the things they missed most back home. But, before we knew it, it was time to board our last flight to Cleveland.

For many of us, the final flight was filled with anticipation, excitement, and impatience. Although some found solace in sleep, others were fidgeting, eager and more than ready to go home and see their loved ones. For me, personally, my thoughts were also dominated by the plethora of memories we had made during our time on Cape Eleuthera. I tried to trace all of the activities that we took part in from Day One, but I quickly lost count. From sea kayaking to stingray research, beach camping to snorkeling, spelunking to scuba diving, and many, many more beautiful and life-changing memories. When we landed in Cleveland and greeted our families, although it may be unbeknownst to some, each and every one of us brought back these memories – our souvenirs from our journey – that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives. On one of our last days at the Island School, we all sat in a circle on the beach behind our dorms; Liz and Stan had one more culminating activity for us to take part in. We were each given a quarter-size blue marble that has a symbolic meaning so significant. Liz described how everything we had learned about at the Island School – all of the research we had done and the impact that we made – has the ability to change what the world will look like for our children. “You are the future,” she said to us. She painted a world where the shallow waters of the Bahamas were sterile and void of all life; where the skies were gray and the air thick. She showed what could become of our world if we continue on the path that we, as a species and a community, are walking. The blue marble we were given symbolizes the hope and change that we, as the next generation of citizens of this Earth, can bring to our dying world. But, the marble is not a keepsake; these marbles are meant for anyone whose actions, big or small, help to improve the health and welfare of our planet.

Finally, I believe I can speak for all 18 of us when I say that this trip was amazing. Thank you, Ms. Post, Mr. Daly, Stan, Liz, everyone at the Island School, Cape Eleuthera Institute, and Hawken for giving us this amazing opportunity. Everyone have a wonderful winter break with your families. Happy Holidays.

Link Up,

Eidan and Alfonso

Last Day in Paradise!

Hello,

With excitement and the anticipation of competition on our minds, this morning we awoke ready to engage in the activity of volleyball. No one could predict how physical and intense this final morning activity of our experience was going to be. We divided into two teams and the series of games flew by. Team two smashed their opponents, team one, in the first match, but fell short in the second match, leaving the series tied at 1-1. With breakfast looming on the horizon, all bets were off. Concentration and communication became key to victory as team two surprised their opponents by exposing them for their weaknesses on the battlefield of Boys Dorm Beach.

The game was intense!

After breakfast we prepared ourselves for our final snorkel which was at Fourth Hole. We loaded up into two separate vans and began the journey to our last aquatic adventure. Tasked with identifying as many organisms and marine life as we could, we set out into the water with our mask, fins, and snorkels, and dive slates (which allowed us to write underwater). Compared to the last time we were at Fourth Hole (on day 1!), many of us felt proud we could identify so many creatures. The fish seemed more relaxed this time around, and it allowed for us to better gain insight into the lives of this aquatic community. The plentiful amount of fishes, both familiar and unfamiliar, paved the way for a perfect last snorkel.

Isaac and Fiona keep track of their fish identification

Our afternoon involved a deep cleaning of the dorms and our common living space. In order to ensure that when we leave, our space will be cleaner than it was when we arrived, we swept floors, mopped the bathrooms, cleaned the toilets, and a conducted a number of other chores. With the rooms in perfect condition, we left to collect firewood for the ensuing bonfire that would conclude our time here tonight. Shortly after collecting firewood, we gathered around in a circle and were given blue marbles that represent the earth. Our task is to pass these on to people who do something that benefits the ocean and the environment that we as a species live in. It reminded us that we all leave a global footprint, and that we have to do all that we can to make sure that this footprint is beneficial to the earth. Once we collected enough firewood, with the sun quickly setting, we headed to the common room to ready ourselves for a ‘surprise’ adventure. We walked to the vans, drove to a very familiar site and received another batch of passion fruit 'cups', and then we went to High Rock. At High Rock we were able to admire the beautiful setting sun, which was the last sunset that we would see here in Eleuthera.

The sunset from High Rock

After this wonderful surprise, we headed back in order to prepare for our Secret Santa gift exchange. We arranged our gifts underneath our makeshift Christmas tree, an invasive Casseurina pine tree we collected on our camping trip that we decorated with ornaments made of trash. With no money allowed to be spent on these gifts, there was a lot of room for creativity. Everyone enjoyed finding out who their Secret Santa was and we were all impressed with the wide variety of gifts! The event reminded us that Christmas was on the horizon and will definitely provide us with great memories.

A successful gift exchange!

Our final activity for the night, and for our trip, was a bonfire. We all gathered around the bonfire, chatted for a bit, and then began to reflect on what our ultimate ‘happies’ were, while at the same time discussing what we will take away from this experience and can introduce into our own lives back in Cleveland. Afterwards, we roasted some marshmallows and had cookies. It was the final piece of the puzzle to complete our journey here in Eleuthera. At the bonfire it became apparent how close our group had grown; while it was the end of our time here, it was only the beginning of the close relationships we formed here.

Chit chat at the farewell fire

See you tomorrow!
Michael and Donny, xoxo

Lighthouse Beach

Hello, 

This morning we awoke to a pleasant surprise on the schedule- a beach day!  After some rigorous yet relaxing yoga in the boathouse, we began our journey. Breakfast flew by because of our anticipation to leave and spend some much needed time relaxing on a beautiful beach. As we loaded up in the vans, energy was high, but as we started moving that excitement seemed to fade into a dreamy sleep. We woke up and realized we were there! We unloaded the vans and were subjected to a 45 minute trek over rocky and muddy terrain. However, this trek was extremely rewarding because the path led to a picture perfect beach.

The view at the end of our trek: A Bahamas Appreciation Moment (BAM!)

With the sun shining and the warm air flowing, the crew started their day of bliss. This included swimming, snorkeling, playing volleyball and soaking up the sun on the beach. After about an hour and a half, we ate lunch. With stomachs full, we set about playing in the beautiful ocean once more. There was sandcastle-building, wave-jumping, sun-tanning, book-reading, beach-combing, and lots more swimming! About an hour later, we departed on an adventure to the lighthouse of Lighthouse Beach. After seeing the monument, we went to the top of a cliff and saw the 360 degree view of Eleluthera and the Atlantic. We also took Ms. Post’s timeless photo atop the cliff.

The view from atop the cliff

At the top of Lighthouse Beach!

We then took the plunge off the cliff into the roaring seas below... just kidding :). We hiked back down and gathered our belongings. After our fun day, we unfortunately had to leave… We set off once more on long walk back to the vans. Once reaching the vans, covered in sweat, sand and salt, we began our journey back to the Island School. Everyone took a very well deserved shower for our fancy night out.

Wearing our Sundays’ best, we set off for the Island School cook’s restaurant. We were treated to some good home-style Bahamian cooking. Fried chicken, fried lionfish (our first taste-- delish!), macaroni and cheese, ribs, vegetables, French fries and much more. Who could want anything else?! Many of us spent the meal reminiscing about all the crazy adventures we had as middle school students, while others learned how to fold napkins and placemats into crazy shapes! Unfortunately, we had to leave and return to rest… While we thought our day of surprises was over, there was one more in store. Mr. Daly and Ms. Post announced that we did’t have a quiz tonight! One of the most pleasant surprises of the day!

See you in 2 days in the cold and sad weather of Cleveland…

Andrew and Dal

SCUBA!

Hello everyone,

We started off our day a little later than normal, waking up at 7:25 instead of 6:00. After the intense day yesterday, we were happy to have a little more time to sleep. Breakfast was a hearty meal of muffins and sausage. After breakfast we gathered up our snorkel gear and headed to the boathouse for a trip to the sandbar. The skies had cleared after a rainy morning and it seemed like we were going to have great weather for our trip. We anchored our boats and snorkeled in to the sandbar, examining the many conch and sea biscuits on our way in. Once we landed on the beach, we were prompted to lay down in the sand. Liz and Stan then explained to us that we were laying in fish poop!

Learning about ooids!

We buried Desmond (he was a great sport!)

We learned that this sand was a special kind called ooids. Ooids are only found in places where shallow water meets deep oceans. The Bahamas, and more specifically this section of the island, is a perfect place to find ooids. They are formed when calcium carbonate is built up around a nucleus of fish waste. They are highly sought after for companies that make beauty products and exfoliating soap products, as well as for construction companies for making concrete. We rubbed our faces with the exfoliating ooids which are known to have cleansing properties. But, shortly after we arrived, we began seeing some clouds in the distance, and quickly snorkeled back to the boats in anticipation of a storm. Sure enough, we were caught in the rain without much visibility for a short time, after which we headed in to the dock. It was a quick moving, rain-only storm, so it was like an extra freshwater shower!

The rain falling over the Island School

Lunch consisted of pasta and meat sauce with watermelon and green banana salad. After lunch, we met up with Chris Maxey at the boathouse in preparation for our scuba diving training. Chris is undoubtedly passionate about what he does, and it was comforting to know that we were in good hands. He taught us all of the basics for our scuba diving trip, which we would take later in the day at a place called the Saddle, where there is a sharp drop off from shallow depths, perfect for scuba training. The first group of scuba divers included all the girls, and so the boys either snorkeled or chilled on the beach. While snorkeling, some of us saw black-tipped reef sharks, which was a majestic experience. Once the girls finished their dive, we went into the waters and went through some very basic yet thorough training. We had the opportunity to see some yellow stingrays and squirrel fish up close. It was hard to concentrate on the beauty of the waters and its inhabitants while also being completely amazed by the fact that you are breathing underwater. We left the sea and put our equipment away all while discussing the awesome experience we were privileged to have. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed scuba diving and the experience of being able to breathe under water.

The girls with their instructor Anna getting ready to take the plunge

Michael gives the sign for "I'm having a blast!"

A pack of boys take to the sea for the first time

The girls are head out on their sea cruise having proven their skills

With ‘the store’ on our minds, we hastily yet properly put away all of the scuba equipment. Some of us headed off to the marina where we enjoyed snacks from the cool, air-conditioned store. We spent the majority of our exploration time here, and once it was over we headed to dinner to eat some BBQ chicken and rice.

We spent our evening in a period of reflection where we thought about what we have learned and have taken away from this experience. Prompted with seven questions, we sat in silence as we wrote in our notebooks reflecting and thinking deeply. After writing for about half an hour, we headed towards some benches underneath the clear starry night to discuss what we’d written. It was interesting to hear all the different perspectives of our peers and how they connected with what we had written ourselves. I think we all have taken away more than we realized we would originally.

This dive flag floated above us to let boaters know we were down below

Tomorrow we are excited to start our day off with some yoga and head to Lighthouse Beach for a relaxing day.

Link up,



Logan and Michael

Towing and the Deep Sea!

Hello,

We started our day today with a very intense morning exercise- one in which we had been nervously and excitedly dreading since we first heard about it during the rotation- the run-swim! To start off, we all met at the flagpole and stretched with some of the other Island School staff who would be joining us for the big event. Chris Maxey, the founder of the Island School, was especially excited to see us all ready to go and lead us on this exciting tradition. The run-swim alternates between short periods of running and swimming (which is a little bit more difficult than it may seem). Aside from the running and swimming, we also rolled through mud puddles and hiked up sandy hills; we even picked up litter from the beach! At the end, when were finally able to catch our breath, we realized it wasn’t truly as bad as we thought it would be, and it was actually kind of fun!

Our morning exercise left us all exhausted and hungry, so we were eager to get to the dining hall and eat the delicious breakfast of eggs, grits, and fruit, which we all immediately gobbled down.

After breakfast, we all headed to the boat house and split into two groups: the Conch Research Group and the Ocean Adventure Group. In the Conch Research Group, we were helping the Research Coordinator of CEI, Candice, decide where to place a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Bahamas based off of Conch population data. The research we were helping with was based off of a study conducted in the 1990s in which we were comparing Conch populations between then and now (in conjunction with the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago). To collect data, we held on to a wooden board attached to the boat by a rope, in a process called a manta tow, and looked underwater to count the number of conch we saw and identify which life stage the conch were in. To eliminate human error, a Go Pro was attached to the bottom of the board, so that she could later go back and watch the film to see if our data was collected accurately- allowing her to see not only the number of conch in the area but also see how precise humans are at collecting data. The experience was definitely a little nerve wracking at first, but by the end, we were all having a great time!

Heading out on the boat this morning

Getting ready for our first manta tows!

Andrew is a great spotter for Dal and Emily out on the manta board

The Ocean Adventure group went out into the deep sea through our first real bout of wavy seas to snorkel. The first stop was at an aquaculture cage located in the middle of the ocean once used to farm Cobia fish. The cage was almost destroyed during Hurricane Sandy as the storm almost dragged it over the continental slope. The cage was recovered but is no longer functional. When looking down from over the cage, all you see is blue beneath you, because the ocean is over 100 feet deep at this point! Snorkeling here was really fun because we got to see bigger fish than normal and one group even saw a hammerhead shark! The next location was “the wall”, which goes down 1,000 meters. To show its tremendous depth, Liz has us all form a circle and drop a conch shell into the middle of us so we could all see how long it took to fall (it was a pretty long time). The third and final stop was at Tunnel Rock, which is a large reef with a natural tunnel through the middle of it. In the sand nearby, an Island School researcher is growing staghorn coral in a 'coral nursery.' The baby coral is being grown on PVC pipe with coral attached via zip ties. This was also another good snorkel spot, as there were a ton of fish that we were able to identify and dive down to swim beside! We have really improved our snorkeling in the short time we've been here!

In the deep blue sea at the aquaculture cage

Abby dives down to the top of the enormous cage

After our adventures, we ate an amazing dinner of hamburgers and mac and cheese. After dinner, we went to a lecture on Sharks in the Bahamas by Ollie, a PhD student at CEI. We learned a lot more information about sharks, from how they breed to their value (did you know live sharks are worth about $100,000 due to tourism while dead sharks are only worth $50?). Some more interesting facts include that sharks cannot smell human blood, that sharks do not have a swim bladder (they are buoyant because of their oily liver), and that sharks, like stingrays, go to sleep when flipped upside down, which is called tonic immobility.

Overall, it was a successful and tiring day down here in the Bahamas full of sun and surprises! Our time is coming to an end, and we are all excited to make the most of our last few days in the warm weather and learn more about marine life!

See you in 4 days!

Dana and Emily

Down Island Trip, Day 2!

Hello everyone!!!

Fiona and Hannah here; reporting live from Eleuthera. Today was an adventure-packed day as we finished our trip down island.

We woke up this morning after a long night of heavy rain- made especially loud in our three person tent. Luckily, our tent was in perfect condition and kept us very dry the whole night! After waking up at 7 this morning (a little bit later than our usual 6:30 AM) we gathered around and ate cereal with soy milk after packing our tents, which were covered in sand. Both of us (a first time camper, Hannah, and an OL leader, Fiona) found the sand an uncomfortable bed to sleep on but overall had a really great time.

We survived the rainy night and woke up to this view!

We got in the vans and drove for a few minutes before getting to our first stop, The Queen’s Bath. With little information about what we would be experiencing, we got out of the vans and struggled to walk across the ‘death rock’ in flip flops. The short but difficult trek was worth it in the end when we saw the enormous waves of the Atlantic Ocean breaking against the cliffs we were standing on.

The walk down to the Queen's Baths

Next we saw the Glass Window Bridge, a well-known tourist attraction in Eleuthera because you can see the calm turquoise waters of the Exuma Sound on one side and the rough, dark blue waters of the Atlantic on the other. The contrast between the two was spectacular and definitely a sight to remember for the rest of our lives. #blessed.

Can you tell the difference between the two bodies of water on either side of us?

From there we headed down the road to Preacher’s Cave, the place where the ‘Eleutheran Adventurers,’ led by William Sayle, took refuge in 1648 after fleeing religious persecution in Bermuda. The cave is of great religious importance to Eleuthera as Sayle often used it to hold sermons. Sayle also named the island ‘Eleuthera’ after the Greek word ‘eleutheros’ which means freedom.

Preacher's Cave

Back in the vans, we made our way to what Liz claimed to be the best beach in the world- but one we would have to walk for 45 minutes to get to. Drudgingly we got out of the vans and put on our swimsuits and plenty of sunscreen in preparation for the hike. We were pleasantly surprised when Liz called out that we were there after only 3 minutes. What we saw was not a beach but rather an amazing ‘blue hole’- a deep underwater cave created just after the Ice Age by rising and falling sea levels. We lined up and each made the 25-foot jump into the clear blue water of the hole, then put on our masks and snorkels so we could explore further. Tiny red shrimp and little crabs were the only animals we could see on the top, but blue holes are famous for holding the remains of past life, which made the experience even cooler! Cold water made for a short swim and we climbed out to head back to the vans.

Snorkeling in the blue hole after our jump!

We then stopped in Gregory Town to have a lunch consisting of peanut butter and jelly and pasta salad before heading off to our next destination. After an hour in the vans, we stopped at a grocery store to get snacks and go to a beach called ‘Sea Glass Beach.’ We explored briefly and found some beautiful pieces of sea glass and shells to bring home. Afterwards, we got back in the vans and made the trip back down to the whale tail we have called home for the past week and a half.

The cove in the center of Gregory Town

Thankfully, we showered almost immediately after we got back as well as cleaned up our gear and the vans. Tonight will be an early night for all of us because we have the infamous run-swim tomorrow morning!


Bye for now! – Fiona and Hannah

Down Island Trip, Part 1!

Hello!

Today we woke up ready to head out for our big camping trip! We began by gathering any last-minute items into our jam-packed backpacks. After we brought all of our personal items to the vans, we then loaded all of the tents, food items, and water jugs into the trunks of the two vans. Breakfast followed shortly after and we were pleasantly surprised to find bacon on the buffet counter! As we filled our stomachs, we became more and more excited for the unknown and secret adventure that lay ahead. 

Off we go!

All smiles as our trip begins!

We finally loaded ourselves into our assigned vans and headed out. We had a long first leg of the trip, but we were happy when we found ourselves stopped in front of a Bahamian bakery! We all piled into the small bakery and ordered as many delicious treats as we could in the short break time. With our stomachs full again and our need for sugar satisfied, we piled back into the vans and began the second leg of the journey – to the library for a bathroom break. After appreciating the air conditioning and beautiful scenery around us, we drove the rest of the way to Hatchet Bay Cave.

The group on the steps of the pink library in Governor's Harbor

En route to the caves-- can you believe the view?!

We put on our bathing suits and water shoes then grabbed our flashlights to use inside the blacked out underground cave! We slowly filed into the mysterious cave and were confused to find no water but a ton of graffiti dating all the way back to the 1800s. As we continued to cklimb over the rocks, depending solely on our flashlights and the person in front of us, we made our way to the first ladder. One by one, we climbed down the ladder to find another level with no water! As we walked further into the cave, it became tougher to navigate as we needed to watch both our step and our heads! Stalagmites and stalactites surrounded us and provided an eerie atmosphere as they slowly dripped. Finally we figured out why we had on our bathing suits – the next ladder led to waist-deep water! We were told the water was warm, but seconds later we found out that was a huge exaggeration. After covering ourselves in iron-rich mud from the bottom of the water, we followed the same path out of the cave and headed over to a lake full of sea horses to snorkel!

The girls in the iron-red mud in the back of the cave

Everyone in their mud decor!

We finally dried off and changed into regular clothes again for the last leg of our trip. We arrived at the campsite – a beautiful, secluded beach! Everyone rushed to set up all of the tents, prepare dinner, and start a fire before the sun went down and left us in the dark. Using cooperation and communication, we managed to accomplish everything we needed to in time. We enjoyed a delicious stir-fry dinner and then we headed to our tents for a short time. After a light rain, we gathered back around the fire for roasted marshmallows and games! All of us had a lot of fun playing a fairytale game and mafia to end the night – into our tents we went for a well-earned night’s sleep!

The crew that made the fire at our campsite

The view from the tents- camping on the beach!

Dinner is served!

Emily and Rachel

P.S. Still miss you all xoxox

P.S.S- Rachel plunged her first toilet ever today!

Rainy Adventures and STEMM, Bahamas-style!

Happy Friday!!

Our day started off with a 20 minute late start (we were really excited!). We made our way to the presentation room and met Ron who taught us all of the scuba diving techniques and started preparing us for the dive we were supposed to have this morning. We learned the proper ways to dive safely and how to interact with others while underwater during a dive, including the three skills we would need to complete. After this short introduction, we made our way to the boathouse to check out the equipment we would be using. 

So many scuba tanks!

After that we made our way to the dining hall and as soon as we got our steaming bowls of oatmeal and cinnamon buns, lightning struck. The staff informed us that we were going to observe a lightning lock down, waiting in the dining hall until it was safe to walk about outside. The rain started to pour and after a while we were told the scuba dive would be postponed until next Monday. Plans changed, the storm calmed, and we gathered in classroom to watch this cool video about yesterday's sting ray adventure. Check it out below this paragraph! We also learned more about the challenges in pleasing various stakeholders when deciding where to set boundaries for marine protected areas. Then we headed to the boathouse to prepare for our camping trip!!! 

Sting Ray Research!

The girls practice setting up their tents! We have a few first-time campers-- exciting!

Next we ate lunch and walked over to CEI for the intern’s proposal and research presentations. Topics varied from stingrays to sea turtles, conchs, and designing MPAs (marine protected areas). It was cool to see researchers not much older than us contributing to all of the science we have been learning about here. After listening and paying close attention to the presentations, we were blessed with chocolate chip cookies for a snack!

Afterwards, we headed back to the dorm and out of nowhere, Ms. Post shouted that we had three minutes to put on tennis shoes and grab a dollar. We weren’t allowed any more information which made all of us really nervous but excited. We made our way over to the parking lot, split up into two vans, and we were off! The whole ride over everyone was trying to guess what we were about to do- “we’re going to donate the money” “we’re going to buy candy”- evidently, our guesses were a tad off. We finally stopped in the nearest settlement, named Deep Creek, and our teachers collected our money and ran into a little house. When the teachers returned, they were holding plastic cups with frozen passion fruit juice. At first everyone was very skeptical, but they turned out to be amazing. With cups in hand, we took a short drive over to a tree house overlooking a beautiful mangrove landscape. The sun emerged from the clouds and it was a great ending to what started off as a rainy day.

All of us eating our cups on the balcony!

This is Deep Creek, the creek for which the settlement is named

The sun setting over the mangroves in the creek

Week one is over! Many of us really enjoyed calling home tonight; we can't believe we'll see you in a week!

Bar and Vicky

**Editor's note: We are going camping tomorrow morning and will not return until Sunday night. Thus there will be no blog tomorrow night; I will post both Saturday's and Sunday's blogs late Sunday evening when we return. Thanks for reading! 

Day 2 of Conching and Sting Rays- Conch Details!

Hey! 

This morning, on a beautiful Bahamian day, we started our morning with exercise, which consisted of a feisty match of water polo. The group was divided into two teams. We all gathered by the flagpole – as we usually do – and headed towards a hidden cove not far from our dorms. The air was filled with energy as both teams fought for victory. Some of the players, like Alfonso and Donny, even gained battle wounds from playing aggressively in the shallow, rocky waters. Don’t worry! They’re okay (and proud of their wounds).

Stan the Man shows us all a thing or two about water polo!

Alfonso and Donny battled it out in the shallows defending the water polo goal

After morning exercise, we finished up our chores and gathered at the mess hall for a bountiful breakfast of eggs, English muffins, and sausage. Breakfast was a nice break for our group, preparing us for the long day ahead.

After breakfast we split into two groups, the same groups as the previous day. The blog post before this presented a day in the life of the sting ray research team, while both of us will use this post to talk about the adventures of the conch research team.

The conch research team visited 3 different location sites: Boys Dorm Beach, Sunset Beach, and Plum Creek. At each site we set up transect lines consisting of a plot of shore 100 meters long by 18 meters wide. We dispersed ourselves evenly throughout this area, looked for queen conchs – both dead and alive – and tallied the numbers. We did this in order to understand the changes in Eleuthera’s Queen Conch population over the past years.

Liz leads the boys on the transect line

Isaac and Dal record the data from shore

It wasn't a live conch, but there was a cool brittle star inside!

At the end of a successful conching day on a secluded beach in the Bahamas!

This study has been a tradition of the Hawken Marine Science trip for 2 years previous. Due to overfishing of the Queen Conchs, the population of them in the Bahamas – and subsequently in the rest of the Caribbean – has been dwindling significantly. Although attempts to set up Marine Protected Areas (MPA) in regions such as the Florida Keys have been made, little increase in the population has been observed. This is mainly due to the fact the majority of Queen Conchs found in the rest of the Caribbean originate from the Bahamas, an area in which Queen Conchs are being heavily overfished. One of the main reasons for overfishing is due to the popularity in consumption of Queen Conchs, a staple in Bahamian culture.

The results of the Day 1 conch research team were representative of the popular belief that the conch population has been reaching a steep decline in recent years. Areas that were previously abundant in Queen Conchs were found to be devoid of living conch. This is not, however, a foreshadowing of conch extinction because the consequent research group (from today) was able to find 25 live conchs at one of their research sites. Therefore, our cumulative research proves our hypothesis that the Queen Conch population could reach extinction in a decade or so. This would not only prove to be extremely detrimental to the health of the ocean’s reef ecosystem, but it would also cause a drop in revenue produced by local Bahamian fisheries.

In addition to researching the Queen Conch populations, we also learned about the anatomy and physiology of these amazing creatures. With this acquired knowledge, each one of us should be able to identify a queen conch in each stage of its life – veliger, juvenile, sub-adult, and adult.

On another note, the Day 1 conch research team switched their focus to sting ray research for today, while the Day 1 sting ray research team switched to conch research. Both teams set records in their own respects; the Day 2 sting ray research team breaking the all-time record of sting ray catches in one day, and the Day 2 conch research team catching many more live conch than the day before. The Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI) sting ray research team is one of the largest sting ray research programs in the country, so it was an honor to work alongside this highly advanced group of scientists. Today’s group caught 10 sting rays, 5 of which were new and we got to tag!

The students worked with the researchers using nets to surround the ray

Once caught, we brought the rays to shore to collect measurements and tag them

Here's a ray we set free after capturing!

To conclude the evening, we gathered in the Island School’s presentation room to watch a PBS Nova documentary on blue-hole diving. Not only did it prove to us the potential dangers of diving in general, but it also illuminated a new way to discover the secrets of our world’s past.

We’re having a great time down here and are looking forward to the week ahead.

Thinking of ya!

Eidan, Harrison, and the rest of the Marine Science crew