This is the nurse shark we saw while swimming
The aerial view of the nurse shark along with her cleaners hanging onto her fins
This is a Falmingo Tongue (Cyphoma gibbosum)
This is a long spined sea urchin (Diadema antillarum)
March 5/6, 2010
On Friday we went for a snorkel and did research on a transect line. We are beginning to get into field research techniques including conch assessment, transect lines, and then our directed research projects! On Friday we went out into groups of four with a professor. We placed a measuring tape down on the benthic layer (or bottom) of the ocean. Then in groups of two we swam within two feet of the line and calculated how many fish we saw; groupers, snappers, wrasses, etc. Then we swam down the transect line again and counted how many echinodermatas (sea urchins), Annelidas (worms) or other (sharks, rays, barracuda) things we saw. I only found one long-spined sea urchin and a flamingo tongue. We spent a good hour or so out in the water and I only counted 3 fish on the transect line, a flamingo tongue, and a sea urchin. It was a rough day. We were told that at the end of all of this we can apply to get our ID cards and they are valid for life. Then we can go out for certain companies, strictly volunteering, and calculate fish populations.
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On Saturday we went out for a fun snorkel and saw beautiful things! I saw an 8 foot nurse shark that I got to swim with. She was so close to me I could have reached out and touched her. The way she moved through the water was so graceful, and I was working so hard against the current to catch up. Then she ducked down and hid in a cave. There were very large cracks in the cave and if you looked through the holes you could see her tail and gills. She was breathing so much it was crazy watching her take the air in and then release it. We also saw a beautiful spotted eagle ray off in the distance. There was also a little southern stingray eating at the benthic layer of the ocean. (Again meaning the bottom). He was being followed by yellowtail snappers because while he was trying to find food he was digging up the bottom exposing food for the fish. Right before we got back on the boat there was a school of barracuda. They are so creepy to watch in the water because they just freeze and watch you. There were at least 30 ranging in all sizes. I swam pretty close to them. They don’t attack; they are just territorial and curious. It is so quiet under water that it adds to the eeriness of any situation. So being in a school of barracuda with over 60 eyes looking at you is pretty strange. Still a gorgeous site.
On Friday we went for a snorkel and did research on a transect line. We are beginning to get into field research techniques including conch assessment, transect lines, and then our directed research projects! On Friday we went out into groups of four with a professor. We placed a measuring tape down on the benthic layer (or bottom) of the ocean. Then in groups of two we swam within two feet of the line and calculated how many fish we saw; groupers, snappers, wrasses, etc. Then we swam down the transect line again and counted how many echinodermatas (sea urchins), Annelidas (worms) or other (sharks, rays, barracuda) things we saw. I only found one long-spined sea urchin and a flamingo tongue. We spent a good hour or so out in the water and I only counted 3 fish on the transect line, a flamingo tongue, and a sea urchin. It was a rough day. We were told that at the end of all of this we can apply to get our ID cards and they are valid for life. Then we can go out for certain companies, strictly volunteering, and calculate fish populations.
______________
On Saturday we went out for a fun snorkel and saw beautiful things! I saw an 8 foot nurse shark that I got to swim with. She was so close to me I could have reached out and touched her. The way she moved through the water was so graceful, and I was working so hard against the current to catch up. Then she ducked down and hid in a cave. There were very large cracks in the cave and if you looked through the holes you could see her tail and gills. She was breathing so much it was crazy watching her take the air in and then release it. We also saw a beautiful spotted eagle ray off in the distance. There was also a little southern stingray eating at the benthic layer of the ocean. (Again meaning the bottom). He was being followed by yellowtail snappers because while he was trying to find food he was digging up the bottom exposing food for the fish. Right before we got back on the boat there was a school of barracuda. They are so creepy to watch in the water because they just freeze and watch you. There were at least 30 ranging in all sizes. I swam pretty close to them. They don’t attack; they are just territorial and curious. It is so quiet under water that it adds to the eeriness of any situation. So being in a school of barracuda with over 60 eyes looking at you is pretty strange. Still a gorgeous site.
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