Hey guys! It has been a while and I apologize! Things have been so hectic here. I had my fish Id exam on Friday, and it was so hard! I had to memorize 72 fish, again their taxonomic group and their scientific name. I knew about 65 down pack, and of course was tested on the other 7 i didnt have a clue about! However, when we would be swimming around, and my instructor Elisa would point out a fish to identify for the exam and I didnt know it, I would quickly swim over and scare it under a rock! I only did it once, but I did know it was a grouper. I know I got a few wrong, sadly, but I spoke to my instructor about it later that evening and she said I did very well and need not worry. This weeks exam is on coral, which should be easier because it does not move, but it shall be much harder because there are over 90 we need to know by Friday. So I am starting today. This week is also the start of our Directed Research projects in which we have to write a justification exaplining which one(s) we want to do. There is one on Lionfish, in which we go out and hunt them, there is another on Lobsters and their survival, in which we build habitats. The one I want to do is a single student project for Environmental Policy. You do research on Lionfish and the want for them in Amercia. For instance, buying them offline, shipping them to pet stores or aquariums. This project is looking into alternative modes of income for the belongers on the island. I would really like to do that one because it deals with environmental education and the community. Hopefully my justification kicks butt!!!
Besides all that jazz. I have been going on snorkel trips to Shark Alley and saw my first sea turtle!!! He was gorgeous. (Pictures are posted below). He was a young one, maybe a foot or so in length, and when we saw him he was latched onto the coral reef for support. When I dove down to get a closer look he didnt move, he just checked me out as well. The amazing thing about the ocean is that the fish and marine creatures will continue to do their thing while you admire. It is not like bird watching in which they will fly away. You just hover over them, and when they realize you are not threat, they continue with their actions; i.e. mating, eating, swimming... i also saw a gorgeous eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari). They are unlike anything you have ever seen in the water. They just glide through the water. It is almost as if the water parts for them. I was also fortunate enough to see an 8 foot nurse shark hanging out under a ledge. When my instructor Jim pointed her out he said we could dive down and get a closer look, and everyone was so nervous to! i just dove right down, and could literally reach out and touch her. Her mouth was at least a foot and a half wide. As we dove down one by one, she would just watch us and occasionally swing her tail just to reposition herself. It was fantastic! I am heading back out today! Every time youre in the water you see something really sweet; sea turtles, vibrant fish, sharks, etc.
As for yesterday, Saturday Feb 20th, it was community day. Last week i chose to play volleyball with the kids. Sadly, only one was interested enough to play until three kids took over to play football. I did have a chance to play ping pong with some high school students, only after being schooled i find out they are the potential national team. Every year TCI has a national ping pong championship, and they like to practice with the SFS kids. I am getting significantly better, and am learning how to top spin!!! However, yesterday, I signed up for swim lessons. 15 kids showed up for 5 people. The staff gave me two every time. They were a blast though, and quite a work out. I did swallow a lot of water from it, but what doesnt kill you makes you stronger! This one kid DJ was always swimming with a pool noodle, but in the end I got him to swim across the pool without it! Occasionally he would feel the need to latch onto me in the deepend of all places, and I wuold go down! Almost drowning me! I told him kindly not to do so, but he didnt listen, so the next time I took the liberty of dunking him. Never happened again... They are a blast though, I am certainly doing it next week.
I have to get going to start studying and writin those papers! Stay tuned!
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