We were woken up a little earlier this morning by some rough tropical weather. The weather remained cool and wet all day long. Going out to the boat house, we started prepping for the kayak trip that would make up most of the day. We sorted out lifejackets, paddles, spray skirts, and kayaks from in and under the boat house in preparation for the paddle. Once we got everything organized on the beach, we enjoyed a breakfast of eggs, toast, and sausage. Next, we went back to the boathouse and tested out our skills in escaping a flipped kayak. We rolled ourselves over in the water, tapped the bottom three times to let everyone know we were okay, and then tugged on the spray skirt to release ourselves from the kayak.
Vicky helps Logan get into his kayak
Once we had tested, we all started to paddle out from the boathouse. Some members of our group had some trouble getting used to navigating in a kayak, flipping several times. Every time someone struggled, we rafted up together and waited in the rain. A few possessions and articles of clothing were lost to depths of the ocean, but our spirits remained hopeful. After a short time, we spotted an osprey in the sky and beached the boats to watch it roost. After a quick WAM (Water Appreciation Moment) session, we were on our way again to our spot for lunch, about two miles from The Island School. While paddling, we spotted three large eagle rays just between our kayaks. Then, we beached the boats at Kemp's Beach and pulled out supplies for lunch. Lunch was turkey sandwiches with vegetable chips and oranges. We practiced sustainability by collecting the orange peels in the chip bag to be used as compost.
The group 'rafting up' together
We then packed everything up and began heading back. The return trip was much more difficult because we were paddling into the current and were already tired from the first leg of the journey. The 4-mile round trip took about 3 hours to complete, and completely wore all of us out. Once we got back to the boathouse, it was time to clean and put away all the gear we used on the trip. We brought all the kayaks in and rinsed them out, 'seesawing' them up and down to remove all the water. Other parts of our group cleaned gear by dipping them in fresh water, and then sorting them into their proper containers. After the two groups came together to debrief, it was time for everyone to have a two hour exploration time. Most of the group went to the regular destination of the marina shop on their bikes, while many got in a nice, long nap (Isaac's was in his hammock!). It wasn’t long before we all ate a hearty dinner, which even had spice cake as dessert.
After dinner it was time for a special night of snorkeling. We drove out in the vans to Fourth Hole, a shallow coral reef on a former golf course that we visited on the first day. We used special diving flashlights that pierced the dark ocean at night. It gave us a chance to see various marine creatures that we would not see snorkeling during the day, like the diadema, a long-spined sea urchin that cannot be seen very easily in the daytime. It showed us special traits of some creatures, such as bioluminescence, stalked eyes, or reflecting eyes. Some of us saw sleeping parrotfish, live sea biscuits, and a little barracuda. After two exciting encounters with cockroaches (in the boys' van on the way home and in the girls' bathroom when we got back), we were ready for sleep!
We are excited to begin real science research tomorrow after a chance to sleep in until 8!
Eager to learn more,
Isaac and Logan
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