Today was a pretty sweet day.  It started with the usual awakening to conches and the dogs barking.  I got up very slowly and proceeded to breakfast where we had bacon and eggs.  After that we had some free time and then hiked to a cliff.  The cliff was made of coral and was at least 50 feet off the ground.  There was also a bunch of red stuff everywhere which we learned was sand all the way from the Sahara Desert!  After this we went to swim at shipwreck bay, where, if you couldn’t guess there was a shipwreck.  We then hopped in the truck and went to a local barbecue place that had delicious chicken and rice.  I got 2 Bahamian dollars which was pretty awesome.  We then went back to the outpost, had some free time and went snorkeling.  We saw a couple of rays, a lobster, and a bunch of jelly fish swimming around that were too small to sting us.  Next we went back to the outpost for a quick dip and the most exciting thing of the day happened.  My friend Aaron was just staring out in the ocean when he saw a little shadow, and then I realized what it was and told him, “It’s a shark!” . We all crowded around the ocean and saw it.  One of the dive leaders Katie loves sharks so she ran down from the beach house like a mad woman to see it.  It was about 4 or 5 feet long and its fin stuck out of the water numerous times.  After this ordeal Katie couldn’t stop telling us fun facts about sharks. During her explanations we went to play some volleyball which my team dominated.  Next was dinner, which was delicious enchiladas and after that we are having a class about corals, so overall it was a pretty kickin’ day!

JT

Johnston, IA

 

Holy Man!  I cannot even begin to describe how beyond amazing this trip to the Bahamas has been!  The conch shells waking me up in the morning to the spectacular view is just the beginning of the amazing day ahead.  Next follows a delicious breakfast and a discussion of what everyone will be doing throughout the day.  Then, I need to get my gear together accordingly.   Today, the group went on a super exciting cliff climbing adventure!  Here we saw and learned about how the cliffs became, all about the tide pools, and climbed inside caves. It was super right on how the ground on top of the cliffs was made of fossilized coral!  Lunch at the town BBQ is tasty.  Then comes more fish talk and diving debriefing before our dive!  As usual, the dive is AMAZING and is definitely fish filled!  Love it!  After all of the scheduled out activities, a grrrreat game of volleyball on the beach is always fun.  However, it makes it even more fun and exciting when there’s a NURSE SHARK RIGHT OFF THE SHORE!!!  I’ve never seen one outside of aquariums and such so it was definitely one of the highlights of the day!  I really really hope I get to see another one out diving sometime this week if not tomorrow!  SOOOO EXCITED!!!!  Dinner is equally as delicious as the other meals.  Sometime after dinner, there’s a coral presentation.  I absolutely love learning about the ocean in every way because not only do you have the knowledge but you can use the information out on dives!  Lights out at 10:00 for a very well deserved night of rest.  I’ll definitely need if for the next day of totally beyond amazing adventures.  SUPER CANNOT WAIT!!!

 

Brielle

Centennial, CO

 

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            I awoke early this morning to a wake up call in an original way of conch shells and howling dogs. We started out our first full day on Eleuthra.  After eating some pretty awesome chocolate chip pancakes and a briefing from our instructors, we all boarded our trucks for a dive introduction and a couple of dives in Alabaster Bay.  It was an intensely fun and intriguing experience. We stumbled across a lionfish, which we learned are invasive to this ocean, groupers, hogfish, parrotfish, several crab, and several yellow stingrays.  It was an awesome start to our days here and the Bahamas and I’m looking forward to what’s up ahead even thought we’re supposed to live in the moment. 

 

 

-Aaron M.

Johnston, Iowa

 

           

            Day one, today was our first official day at the Outpost in Eleuthra. Being my second time to this island I knew the routine I woke up fifteen minutes before the famous wake up call so that I could see everyone else’s initial reaction. I was ready to start the day because I knew we were going to snorkel, and I couldn’t wait to get into the water. Everyone got up a little slowly, and ate an amazing chocolate chip pancake breakfast. I still couldn’t wait to get into the water, but we had to check out our gear first, climb into the truck and drive there. Finally we reached Alabaster Bay, a great shallow place for first timers. After the amazing K-pen taught my group everything we needed to know, we were all experts. I was also excited to use my new underwater camera, with my new and improved snorkeling skills. After getting back to the Outpost later today I found I had some great underwater photos. But, back to snorkeling… So we finished at Alabaster and headed back to the Outpost to have some lunch and relax before we went back out. But, especially thanks to the two ladies that were making the documentary, we took about an hour to learn about trash. We walked about a quarter mile down the beach, and filled a page with a list of all the different kinds of trash we found. We found stuff ranging from plastic bottles to shell oil drums, and refrigerators. There was garbage from Singapore, Haiti, South America, Asia and America. It was pretty trashy. After that we returned to Alabaster and continued to snorkel, we saw a lot of cool stuff like stingrays and even the invasive lionfish, which I have a great picture of by the way. After about two hours we hopped back in the truck and headed back to the Outpost. I took a much needed 2 minute shower ate dinner, and now I’m sitting here writing this blog. So pretty much it was an awesome day, and a great way to start out trip to the Bahamas. K-pen, and Katie made it fun and also taught us a lot about what we needed to know to be wicked sweet snorkelers.

 

-Tom S.

Denver, Colorado

 

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Dear Diary

            My team and I headed out of Johnston, Iowa to fly to Memphis where The King himself was born and raised.  We were unable to meet him due to the fact that he is deceased.  After a lay over and some cribbage we were on our way to the state of Florida where we were met by friendly faces ready to take us to our hotel.  We made friends with the snails there and ate at Dave and Busters. The dudes rocked out the arcade while the ladies went to K-mart and the guys were denied entry.  Woke up the next morning to eat breakfast.  The waffles didn’t please my tummy.  After a ride to the airport we were weighed for the airplane.  We flew in a small plane that was a little bumpy but got us there safe and sound.  The Bahamian people were very nice and helped us with our luggage.  The ride from the airport was one I will never forget.  We drove on the wrong side of the road. But it was all good.  We got to the Out post where we are staying and were introduced to the staff who seem very nice.  We swam right away which was extremely fun.  After the other teams started to arrive we met everyone and ate pasta.  The food was delicious. After dinner we played ultimate Frisbee on the beach and swam.  I foresee a super fun time for everyone.  Love you Mom and Dad don’t miss me too much.

-Alex B.           Johnston, Iowa

 

June 26, 2008:

            The clocked ticked timidly and time passed slow and crippled as I stared at my watch counting down the seconds until I would leave for the island, Eleuthera . The music from my ipod played loudly, suppressing my hearing. In the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of my dad grabbing his car keys and putting his shoes on. I ripped off my headphones and bolted to the door, grabbing my luggage along the way.

            “Lets go!” my dad exclaimed. I was too enthralled and distracted, daydreaming about my upcoming adventure, to reply to my dad. We got in the car quickly, and began the slow drive down to DIA  (Denver International Airport). Talk of upcoming movies and anticipated vacations filled the car. The airport could be seen from miles away, the lights shining high and bright. The sound of thunder disguised the noise of the busy parking lot as my father and I quickly made our way from the car into the airport and down to the Delta gate.

            “What time is it!?” I asked impatiently. My dad looked at his phone and began to chuckle quietly to himself.

            “Its only 10:30, we’ve got half an hour until the rest of the crew is supposed to be here.”  It was both comforting and yet depressing to find out that we were the first ones to arrive. I paced the front of the airport waiting to find a familiar face. About 20 minutes later I spied Tory and Carlyanne approaching with smiles on their faces. Within another five minutes, the rest of our party had arrived.

            We said our good byes and headed down to the gate. After a long hour of waiting in the empty airport, our obnoxious group of six boarded our 12:55 (a.m.!!!!) flight to Atlanta. After situating ourselves on the plane Guillermo and I completed the crossword puzzle in the complimentary magazine, and fell asleep.

            After successfully getting off the plane we quickly made our way to the next gate (stopping to get coffee along the way, of course), and boarded our next flight to Ft. Lauderdale. We got on the plane and just shortly after departure; everyone in our row (from Dr. Carlson to Guillermo) had fallen fast asleep.

            Once we arrived at Ft. Lauderdale I made the suggestion that we eat lunch, to pass the time. Although everyone was kind of bummed out that we had a SIX-HOUR LAYOVER in Ft. Lauderdale before flying to the island, we all managed to pass the time. We collected our boarding passes and made our way to the smallest ‘plane’ known to man (it was more of a barrel with wings), and flew off to Eleuthera.

                        Thought the flight was exhilarating and nothing could detract from looking out the window and beholding the beauty of the island. The landing was bumpy but quick. After stamping our passports and grabbing our luggage we crammed into a truck and made our way down to the Outpost.

            Once we arrived (high on life), we threw our bags away in our dorm and headed straight for the beach. With a long flight and a nice swim under our belts our group (now consisting of around 20) participated in some group events, a nice cozy dinner, and some large group discussion and branched off to do our nightly work.

            After a long and exhausting flight, we finally had arrived on the remote Eleuthra, Who knows what could happen next.

 

            Connor,

Highlands Ranch, CO

 

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This trip has not been a vacation. To me, it has been a life changing 7 days that most people will never get to do. Since this is the last day I will start this blog off with today. As usual, I woke up about 10 min before breakfast with laughs including Eric soiling himself haha. Then I took a quick shower, said good morning to everyone and sat on the bench outside. Breakfast was delicious as usual J I had Diane’s nearly famous chocolate chip pancakes mmmmmm they were very delicious. Then we had a briefing of today’s dive to current cut after breakfast. Judging by how K-Pen and Katie spoke about the currents, it was going to be snorkeling at the extreme! We had a 1 hour drive stopping at Johnson’s grocery store for drinks and food (I bought a camera). We played games on the back of the trucks including “chopsticks” “the animal game” and “werewolf” then we stopped by a bridge called “the glass window bridge” which is the narrowest piece of land on the island were u can see both the Atlantic and Caribbean oceans in one standing. It was very beautiful but what really made it cool was we saw a big sea turtle and a nurse shark that got really close to the shore! Then we drove for about 30 more min then we got to current cut at last. We walked a fairly long hike passing a ferry station and we put on our diving equipment on at a small beach. The dive was really cool, it went from weak to really strong currents taking us along the sea. I enjoyed every bit of it. I saw some amazing animals including gigantic French angelfish a big puffer fish and a monstrous 6 foot goliath grouper! Then we got to shore at lunch we had turkey and ham wraps, Pringles, cookies, and water or drinks we bought. Then we had a second dive and I saw a very big sea star it was pokey but very cool. Then we ended the dive changed and stopped by some souvenir shops. I bought something for all the people in my house hold and 2 cousins and my aunt and uncle. I spent about 95$ but it was worth it. I also stopped by for an ice cream and had a conversation with the locals. They are funny and very friendly. Then we got back to the outpost and had a big buffet dinner that was delicious. But this trip has taught me so much. The people I have met, I feel I have grown a bond with all the people here such a awesome group of people from different states we are all different yet the same. One of the lessons I have learned is RESPECT the animals. Unfortunately, I learned it the hard way. A hermit crab pinched me on my finger. It hurt a lot and left a nasty little blood blister but I was messing with it so….yea. Also don’t try to fight the ocean it will always win I got wiped up and washed out multiple times. Also I learned how the system of extraction, production, selling the product, usage and disposal works and it’s quite scary how bad we destroy the earth by consuming. Also about the marine mammals and sea creatures. To me though, the most important thing I learned was how to enjoy life with very little or WITHOUT electronics. This trip has been the most amazing seven days of my life so far. I won’t ever forget the moments, the people and the places that have come my way this amazing week.

Mario

Brighton, CO

 

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Hello everyone!

Today we went at Naked German Beach where there were a few waves, but it was definitely a good time. We saw a little eel and it scared me to death but it was so cool! Anyways, after snorkeling we went to a cave! It was really cool. I enjoyed all the cave writing from different people and there were even names from people who lived in the 1800’s. It was said the writing could have been names of slaves who were freed from the plantations! I thought that was really interesting. There were these red vein looking things in the ceiling of one room and it was so funny because our leader made up this story about a war that went on above the cave and all the red stuff on the ceilings was blood. She told us just after that it was iron but I honestly enjoyed the blood story better! After that, some friends and I just chilled on the beach for a little bit and it was really fun. At five we had time to do log books and then we had dinner. We are having a talk about trash tonight which will be cool.Well… that’s about it for today!

Hey parentalsJ

P.S: I tried doing this skimboarding thing and I totally rule at it…just kidding.. I stunkJ

Ashley Willcutt

Highlands Ranch, CO

 

It was just like any other morning here in Eleuthera. My morning began when the conch shell was blown and the dogs barked their morning greeting. Breakfast was delicious: sausage, grits, eggs and biscuits. After that, the day was far from similar to any other day we have had here. The trucks pulled out at nine o’clock and we were on our way to Naked German Beach. The waves were rocking us a little, but the snorkeling was amazing and I got to see an eel! It was about four feet and completely awesome. That was the highlight of the dive. Then, we got out and were able to do some beachcombing. After eating lunch, we made our way to the Hatchet Bay Caves. The cool caves were a nice change from the intense sun above the ground. There were lots of bats down there (a little scary, but really cute at the same time). There was one room in the caves called the water room. We waded through it with water up to our waists. The water was chilly and refreshing. Back in the sun, above ground again, we rode to the local grocery store. It was definitely a change from the large, variety-packed stores at home. Once we got back to the outpost, we had some down time to just relax after an exciting morning. For about an hour before dinner we worked on our logbooks and identified fish. Now that dinner is over with, we are all ready for class at 7:30 to talk “trash.” So, other than the normal breakfast, the day has been far from normal. It was a wonderful day!

Amy

St. Germain, WI

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I woke up at 7 to the sound of conch shells being blown and dogs barking their lungs out. I layed there not wanting to wake up. This went on for about 10 minutes.  Then eventually I went and put my swimming suit on under my clothes. Yes I only took like 10 minutes to get ready!! Wow.  Then at 7:30 it was Breakfast time, (French-toast, fruit, etc).  at about 8:30-9ish we left, we rode the trucks to Turtle Hole, our snorkeling spot for the morning.  Hiking was our way to get to the beach. The hike was very rocky, it consisted of a lot fossilized coral. The snorkel was very exciting today!! I saw a shark and I was scared but excited .I also saw a sea turtle! The water was very deep, and kind of cold.  The coral was amazingly beautiful!! Lunch was turkey and cheese sandwiches. Wow I just skipped a couple hours, our hike back to the trucks was through a forest thing, I got poked by a few twigs. I got to chat with all the people who are here. People are from Colorado, Wisconsin and Tennessee.  After lunch we all went to a shipwreck beach. When we came back I rinsed off in the outdoor shower and saw a frog. There are a lot of them here. After that it was dive log time, and we had to write all of our fish tracking stuff. Then it was dinner and Diane made meatloaf, Ceaser salad, peas, and potatoes; it was delicious. Then I walked outside and Katie, asked me to come write a blog. Wow, a long day, yeah?? Haha. Oh and dad’s camera is malfunctioning, I don’t know why but it’s not working. We had evening class on Invertebrates with Kpen. I also have many bug bites even though Ashley sprays me like crazy with bug spray. I’m having so much fun!

Katie

Brighton, CO

 

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Hello from Paradise!

Today was one of the best days yet! We went to Turtle Hole. We hiked along the beach to get there. Once there we went out and saw among many other amazing things, a Queen Triggerfish, with beautiful marks around her eyes. Then on our second snorkel trip out we went to a hole in the coral, and did a swim through. While we did this we saw a Nurse Shark in the distance! Then about five minutes later we saw a Sea Turtle! It was so cool! Then we hiked back through a jungle. The path was a little over grown, and there were some interesting sinkholes to the sides. The trees were smacking us all, but it was still pretty sweet.

After a short break we went to Ship Wreck Beach, but we weren’t able to go snorkeling because the water was too choppy. So instead we hung out on the beach, and played in the ocean. It was quite entertaining to watch Mr. Deets try to skim board! I can’t wait until tomorrow!

Love, Jennie J

 Highlands Ranch, WI

Hello everybody,

Today on June 21, 2008, we had a blast.  First, we were woken up by the conch “alarm”.  Breakfast consisted of delicious eggs, potatoes, and bacon.  After feasting, the gang went to Ocean Hole on the Caribbean side of the island.  The hole was about ½ mile from shore.  There were Queen Conchs and Sea Cucumbers on the way to Ocean Hole.  At the hole, there were lobster cages that contained many fish.  Krispen freed many of the fish, but the blue tangs would not leave.  There were also Nassau Groupers, Grey Angelfish, and Queen Angelfish.  Lastly, we saw eight Lionfish which is a record for one dive.  When we returned to shore, everyone combed the beach for shells.  We returned to the outpost for a little while, and then we took a trip to James Cistern for food.  There we ate chicken or ribs on the barbecue.  THEY HAD AWESOME CHOCOLATE CAKE!  After the cake, we traveled to the cliffs where we learned about the geology of the island.  Then we learned about tide pools and chitons.  Following the tide pools we went to a cave.  Someone just got pinched by a hermit crab while I was writing just now! He He.  Continuing on, we dove at the outpost after the cave and saw lots of different fish.  DINNER WAS EVEN BETTER THAN THE CAKE.  We had lasagna and garlic bread which was great, but desert was better.  Diane made the world’s best apple crisp that has ever been created.  Later, we are going to learn about coral and how awesome it is.  In all actuality-reality (K-Pen told me to use this phrase), today was awesome and I do not want it to end.  I’m signing off.

Peter G. and assisted by Matt F.

St. Germain

P.S.  HI MOM!!

 

Today we woke up in a very interesting way to the sound of a conch shell along with dogs barking. When we got up we had breakfast which contained eggs,potatoes, and bacon. After breakfast we got ready to go out to ocean hole and went on an amazing adventure of snorkeling. There we saw many different kinds of fish and coral one of my favorite fish that I saw was the flounder. After our adventure in the deep sea we went up to shore and looked at many different kinds of shells with the opportunity to take the ones we liked as souvenirs.  After our walk on shore we drove back to the outpost (our cabins) we had a short time to get ready for what the afternoon had in store for us. When everyone was ready we went to James Cistern for a barbeque lunch.  After our amazing lunch we drove up to rainbow cliffs and took a little hike up the cliffs and explored for a while. During our exploration we saw many tide pools with amazing little creatures in them which are Kpens favorite.  We also had the opportunity to climb down a wall and go into a cave. When we finished exploring the cliffs we went back to the outpost and had the option to snorkel the outpost. When we returned it was time for us to go back and read about the fish we had seen today. Then it was time for Diane’s amazing dinner which contained lasagna and garlic bread along with an amazing desert which was apple crisp. After dinner we had some time before we get some fabulous information about corals from an amazing teacher named Katie. Then we will get ready to go to sleep and be ready for tomorrows crazy adventures. Overall, I would have to say that this has been a wonderful opportunity that I have been able to experience.     

 Amy

Brighton, CO

 

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Today at Wild Studies I woke up to the sounds of a conch shell at seven.  Soon after we went to the main house and ate chocolate pancakes and fruit.  A little later we all met at the unicorn station and we all received our snorkeling gear.  Then we were loaded into the truck and were driven a short distance to a beautiful place called Alabaster beach.  There we were taught how to use our snorkel equipment and how to free dive.  We saw many little fishies that were so adorable. My group got to see a cowfish and K-pen chased it around trying to get a picture of it! It was pretty funny.  After that adventure, we got back on the trucks and returned to camp for lunch. Grilled cheese and PB&J.  After lunch we got an hour of free time.  We got to go swim in the crystal clear water and then walk along the beautiful white beach.  After our hour of free time we grouped back at the unicorn station to receive our weight belts. We entered the ocean that is right behind the Outpost  to snorkel the reef.  On this snorkel we got to use the belts to practice our free diving.  We go to see some bigger fishes like parrotfish, angelfish, barracudas, and even a ray!  When we were done with that hour of fun, we met in the unicorn station again to talk about dive logs (which is very helpful for the future).  After that short lesson we had time to identify fish in our logs and get cleaned up for dinner.  Then, we met in the main house and we had a delicious dinner.  It was mexican night!! Enchiladas and beans…mmmm...after that lovely meal it was time for an educational lesson on fishes.  We learned about what types of fishes there are and where the parts of the fishes are located.  After such a long and eventful day it was time for a much needed and much deserved sleep.

Dora

Kenosha, WI

 

              Today I woke up from a conch horn and the dogs were barking.  Then we were going to the house to eat pancakes, they were so good!!  After breakfast, we stood around the “unicorn area” and they passed out our snorkel gear. Then we loaded up our gear into the trucks. Then we took a ten-minute drive to Alabaster bay. This is where we learned to snorkel and free dive. After snorkeling for about an hour, we loaded up to head back to the house. We had some really amazing grilled sandwiches for lunch! Then we took a two-minute walk to the beach and went free diving for a little over an hour. Then we headed back to the house for free time until dinner. During the free time, Smedes and I went snorkeling and were followed by a four-foot barracuda. After our little trip, we sat around and laid in the hammocks. Then they rang the bell for dinner and we had some enchiladas and banana pudding. Then Eric, Mario, and I went down to the beach and walked on the beach with the new dog Daisy. On our way back we were standing on the beach just staring at the waves when we spotted a five foot shark!! Then we came up into the house and had a presentation on different fishes and what they look like.

Eric and Andy

Brighton, CO

 

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Greeting All from Eleuthera!

So, we arrived to the outpost at around 5 p.m. island time and let me tell you what a relief it was to finally be here and finished with traveling, at least for the night. My day started out by being woken up by my instructor, Ann Perry at around 3:30am Milwaukee time so that I could get ready.The rest of the group needed to meet at the airport by 4:30am. My morning started out just fine until I realized upon leaving the bathroom that I needed to find some way to shove everything belonging that had weaseled its way out of my bag back into it. Then after accomplishing that feat I remembered I had to locate my dive watch (which is actually a 15$ water resistant tinker bell watch…compliments of Barb. Thank you!) Finally, I decided to search in my purse for it and low and behold there it was. Go figure. Long story short we made it to the airport on time and began the journey to the Bahamas. The second flight was to Ft. Lauderdale, FL and the guy sitting to my left discovered first hand my fear of flying over water. We got interesting photos of Ann while she was sleeping. I hope to show everyone soon.  

Finally, we arrived in Eleuthera after an interesting flight in a small commuter plane. And I met Dora, a girl who is joining our group for the week, and we clicked instantly: new found friendship! The entire group is just excited to go out tomorrow, snorkel, and see some of the amazing, exotic life. I can’t wait until everyone else fills you in. Right now, it is getting close to lights out and I am dead tired so I will have to say good-night to all for the moment.

P.S. Mom and I say hi Maddie and Emma. We miss you and we love you lots! Kisses! Be good for Grandma!

Carmen - Eagle River, WI    

 

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A jellyfish off the coast of Israel. The dramatic proliferation of jellyfish in oceans around the world, driven by overfishing and climate change, is a sure sign of ecosystems out of kilter, warn experts.(AFP/Bella Galil) Click on this link to read more about these indicator species:

http://green.yahoo.com/news/afp/20080618/sc_afp/environmentscienceclimatetourismjellyfish.html

Today was our final dive of the trip. We took an hour and a half truck drive to Current in order to ride the Current Cut.  We stopped at a small grocery store along the way. Some lightning was spotted along the route, so our dive time was delayed. Luckily, the clouds kept moving in the opposite direction. We got into the water and rode the current! Because of changes in weather, the visibility was reduced. We did see hogfish, angelfish, HUGE barracuda, and we picked up several delicate sand dollars. After another drift dive we loaded back on the trucks and headed through Current to return to the Outpost. Along the route, we stopped at Pam’s Island-Made Gift Shop. We bought some souvenirs as well as some ice cream for ourselves. We made it back to the Outpost in time for dinner. After dinner, we watched the wonderful slide show of our journey. It is amazing that as we look at these photos taken just days ago, we see how we have changed as individuals. We made some free souvenirs as we created hemp jewelry with shells we retrieved from the shores this week. Our adventures will hopefully remain with us forever as we return home. The people we’ve met, the things we’ve scene, the places we’ve been. All of these things will impact us throughout our future.
Morgan
Lakewood, CO

 

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Today’s fun-filled activities began with another amazing breakfast by our cook Diane.  The countless chocolate chip pancakes I consumed were a great source of energy for the long day ahead.  After the truck ride to the “Naked German Beach” many students were concerned at the sight of the waves, larger than what we’ve grown accustomed to the past couple of days.  This dive site proved to be well worth the slight difficulties experienced entering and exiting the water.  There were numerous fish in this site allowing us to gain a lot of experience in spotting and counting our assigned fish.  My dive buddy and I were assigned Grunt and Surgeon fish, which included one of my favorite fish - the very colorful Blue Tang.  After the dive we refueled with our packed lunch before heading to one of the most exciting parts of the trip – the cave.  The trip through the cave gave us a nice break from the intense sun while also allowing us to see some spectacular sights inside the cave.  Once we returned to the outpost we had a nice relaxing afternoon before another amazing meal.  We finished off the day with a very educational video and discussion about “stuff.”  This discussion focused on all the stuff we use and dispose of as consumers and the problem this poses on our environment.  The lesson also gave us great pointers on how to use our stuff more efficiently to prevent the destroying of our planet.

Travis

Aberdeen, South Dakota

 

Today we woke up to the delicious taste of orange zest French toast!  YUMMMMMMY I love the cooking here it’s so wonderful.  Before I came to this island I thought I might loose some weight, boy was I wrong.  The food is soo amazing it’s nearly impossible to loose weight. After we digested, our morning excursion was to Ocean Hole.  After we got our gear on we swam out quite a ways until we arrived at theeee Ocean Hole.  It consisted of a huge hole in the ocean. I confronted one of my bigger fears of seeing a Barracuda.  AHHHH FRIGHTENING!  This is just one of the many things that will come between my comfort zone and I.   Wow! After snorkeling, we combed the beach for shells. Then we came back to hang out at the village BBQ.  Yummy Ribs. After we ate, we hiked up to a cliff and looked around; we even climbed into a cave! Then we stopped by a local store to get some snacks. After we all got back into the trucks we came back to camp. We had some free time to body slam the waves… and oh the waves did body slam! Then we ate a delicious grub that consisted of meatloaf. Then we went onto our daily class on Invertebrates.  We had to make skits to describe the seven phyla of Invertebrates. Haha- you had to be there. Here we are now ending our day and getting ready to start all over! Welcome to the wonderful world of Wild Studies.

`Yours Truly Diary -Blog -Thingy –Yes,

Chelsea and Allison (South Dakotans)

Students 14 years of age or older may now apply for a 2009 Wild Studies adventure!!

Click here to learn more  : www.wildstudies.com/sit_contact2.asp

            After being woken up by the conch call at seven, I was awarded with an amazing breakfast of eggs and potatoes for actually getting up this early, despite my teenage years.  We were all briefed on the potentially dangerous sea creatures, handed and explained our gear, and set loose to get ready for our first dive.  Smothered in sunscreen, we took the bumpy road to Alabaster Bay.  Given our directions, we all flopped around and got the basics down.  We went back for lunch and some down time. We then went to the Receivers Dock to snorkel along the outer wall. Here we could see some interesting critters and even swam through the River of Fish which is home to thousands of baby silversides.  We found a rock to climb out on and had a short hike with our gear.  After a snack we had a little free time, dinner, and a lesson about the anatomy of fish and the most basic fish we’ll see, and now my bed is waiting.  Gotta rest up for tomorrow’s activities! PeAcE oUt!

-Jenn                 Littleton, CO

 

Students 14 years of age or older may now apply for a 2009 Wild Studies adventure!!

Click here to learn more  : www.wildstudies.com/sit_contact2.asp

So today started off in Atlanta, I had to go get my sweet ATL shirt. Well all of today’s feelings just fell into one word, excitement. The day started off with this bomb breakfast Stromboli, from some pizza place. After having another two hour delay in Atlanta we were exhausted, and just ready to get here. Once we got to Ft. Lauderdale it hit me that today I would have been in two different states and a whole other country that was sick :] . The best feeling of the day was getting off the puddle hopper into Eleuthera, and then finding out I got to get another ride in a plane and see the entire island. And I’m so glad I had that privilege, it was just another awesome thing included in this trip. So far this is everything I have expected and wanted in this trip; cool kids, cool dive people/instructors, and cool chaperones. Then later on we finally got to go swim in the ocean, YES!!!! The water was perfect, the right temp, and everything. We really don’t have that luxury in Colorado. Well the first day here has been really fun and I can’t wait to go snorkeling, it’s going to be sick.

Jamie

Lakewood, CO

 

Many people are overwhelmed by all the problems our ocean is facing and wonder how they can help make a real impact to protect our ocean and coastal habitats for the future.  Fortunately, there is a simple way to make an impact every single day of our lives. Say no to disposable cups! Each year, people use and discard over 25 billion disposable coffee cups.  Instead of accepting your morning and afternoon coffee in a disposable cup, invest a few dollars in a travel mug.  That eliminates thousands of disposable cups you would have used in the next year, saves trees, and makes certain that no disposable cups or plastic lids you use end up in the ocean as marine debris.  Companies generally appreciate your desire to help the environment as well as saving them a nickel for the disposable cups- some even give you a discount on your coffee. Please visit our website to make the promise…”I pledge to make a difference to our shared ocean environment by choosing to minimize my use of disposable coffee cups each day and to spread the word about the problem of marine debris”. 

The first action item on this page will link you to the pledge site!    http://www.thankyouocean.org/make_a_difference/actionitems

Even though your 2008 week-long adventure has come to an end, it is not too early to plan for 2009. Click on the links below for our 2009 Individual Student Applications. Wild Studies Graduates do not need to have a  letter of recommendation from a teacher.  Students who have not participated in a Wild Studies adventure previously will need to apply for the 2009 programs and include a letter of recommendation. All students who are accepted into Wild Studies as an individual participant will be paired with one of our group leaders. Hope to see you next summer!!