Day two on the island was a bit more eventful than day one. At 6:30 in the morning we were already decked out in our wet suits and making our way down the beach for our first reef outing. I learned a lot of things about snorkeling this morning, like the fact that you have to walk into the water backwards because your fins are longer than the plane ride across the pacific ocean. I learned some other things, but the biggest one, and I feel pretty stupid about this, is how salty the ocean is?! Like, it's reaaaally salty. Saltier than when you prank your sibling by dumping a half cup of salt in their water glass. Saltier than my brothers playing board games on Sunday afternoons. The high salinity means that humans float really well, so it's actually a bit harder to get down under the water when you want to look at things. We're all adjusting to it though, and I'm starting to get slightly better in the water. It was pretty choppy and murky this morning, but we still saw a couple of turtles and lots of fishes. Half of the group spotted a little reef shark, but it was gone by the time I arrived. We swam all the way out to the shipwreck where lots of creatures have established their homes. All the fish are so colorful and beautiful! I'm beginning to appreciate the fish flashcards they made us memorize before we flew out here. After rinsing off, several of us walked down to the beach to explore a little bit. We found a few tide pools and saw a lot of chitons (prehistoric trilobite-looking things). It's kind of wild that the only thing you see in any direction is blue. I feel so secluded. I don't know if this will continue, but so far I really love how disconnected I am from the rest of the world. It's making me realize how often I reach for my phone every day. It's so much nicer to take a walk, read a book, explore, or just sit and bask in the sun. We spent the afternoon working on a benthic cover estimation lab. That basically means we used PVC pipe squares to estimate how much of the bottom of the lagoon is covered in coral (as opposed to sand, rock, algae, etc). We got to use real techniques that scientists in the fairly recent "olden days" used to estimate stuff like that. The technique is this: 1) Place your square. 2) Make a random guess as to what percent of the square is filled with coral. It's actually surprisingly hard to maneuver around the shallow water with all the equipment and cameras and snorkel gear. We all ended up with some cuts and bruises. It was so much fun! In the evening we went swimming again. It was much warmer than the morning swim, which was nice. The water was pretty murky again, but we saw a couple of huge loggerhead turtles. They're not shy at all. We also spotted a sting ray and lots of fish. The rest of the group saw a shark, but I was late to the game once again. I think I'm the only person who hasn't seen one yet. I'll probably see one eventually...... Also, people keep confusing me with Holly. I guess we look alike? I'm taking a poll so you guys can tell me what you think. Here are some photos of us: P.S. If you're wondering why the horizon is curving the wrong direction, it's because everything is upside down in the southern hemisphere.
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Hi friends! I'm assuming you're here because you know who I am, but just in case you're a stranger, here's the rundown: My name is Carly Payne, and I'm going into my third year at Utah State University. This summer (aka right now) I have the MOST amazing opportunity to attend a study abroad on Heron Island. Heron is a tiny island located off the east coast of Australia in the Great Barrier Reef. It holds a research station run through the University of Queensland, and we get to use the facilities to do our own research for two weeks! It's pretty incredible.
My new friends Holly and Riley and I spent the week before the trip traveling through Sydney and Brisbane. It was really fun and we did so many cool things. As a group we met in Gladstone (a small mining town) last night and spent the night in a hostel. Today we packed up and loaded on the Heron Islander ferry. It was a two hour ride, but the water wasn't too choppy, so it was fun. I've only seen the ocean a handful of times, and I've never been surrounded by seemingly endless water before. It was definitely a new experience. When we neared the island, the tide was so low that the reef was above water. We could see insane amounts of coral, and some sharks, turtles, and sting rays were swimming around the boat channel. The island itself is insanely green. I've never really been anywhere so lush. The plants are large (I mean really large) and vibrant, and I can't wait to explore the forest. The water makes the term "crystal clear" make more sense than ever before. Everything here is so beautiful and exciting. I can't believe I'm actually here. This whole thing is really making me think I should've watched Barbie Island Princess in preparation for the trip. After we disembarked the ferry, one of the workers from the research station introduced the facilities and our accommodations (average dorms). We fitted up with wet suits and snorkel masks and took care of some small business, then we walked down to the beach at the jetty to watch the sunset. Heron Island is far enough from the coast you can watch the sun set over nothing but water. It's absolutely stunning. I'm so used to living amidst mountains that watching the sun set over a flat horizon is kind of strange, but crazy beautiful. After that we ate dinner together. The chef here is fantastic! I think it's safe to say that the island food is far better than anything I ate in college. We've got downtime right now, and I think I'll probably hit the sack early tonight. We've got our first reef swim tomorrow morning at 6:30 a.m.! I can't wait! This is a dream come true. |