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
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
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