Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. Advice that I often fail to listen to. This morning was a bit of a rough one. I found myself coming into bed a little late after catching up on blogs and making a phone call back home. I planned to make out to the sunrise snorkel, but my body coupled with my lack of willpower didn't allow that to happen. I remember waking up to my alarm, speaking with my roommate Janna, sitting up then deciding, "Awe, screw it" and promptly passing out again. I awoke much better rested about an hour later but the howling winds still begged me to stay in bed. I enjoyed the sounds of the storm for a while before hauling myself out to go to breakfast. Something about hot tea and a warm breakfast makes taking on the world a little less difficult. After breakfast was a crash course in marine invertebrate evolution and classification before going out to a challenging lab. The point of the lab was to study the relationship between the abundance of invertebrates and distance from coral reef patches. In order to gather the data we had to walk out into the ocean, luckily we only had to go to about knee height water and then stab a 60 ml syringe into the sediment underwater along a transect line. The wind and the waves made the effort a bit crisp, but doable. After that adventure it was a couple grueling hours getting intimate with a microscope. Grueling may be too harsh of a word, but the searching through petri dishes of sand gave me flashbacks of a previous lab job that didn't suit me well. When we did find an invertebrate it was quite exciting. By the time it was over we were all having a bit of fun, jamming to Hailey's playlist and chasing arthropods across the dishes. The day ended with a wonderful meal and a blustery sunset. No matter how often I see it, the beauty of the ocean never ceases to amaze me. The way the light hits it just the right way making a black abyss, then slightly differently to reveal the incredible world that lies beneath its surface. Tonight I witnessed baby black tip reef sharks swimming around cowhead stingrays and even a school of eagle rays circling the jetty. These animals that call this place home. The ocean which for many lies out of sight and out of mind, is the keystone of this planet. So much of what makes life possible is hidden in her depths. This is where life began, where evolution first made its debut and where the most resilient species will survive. I'm so grateful to learn her ways and fall in love with the creatures she cares for. I think any rough day requires some reflection and positive thinking. Not all days will start or end well. Some will do neither, but those days are the ones that make us look a little deeper and pay attention to all the little moments that make life worth the slips and stumbles.
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The next morning we ventured the second snorkel of the trip. A daily sunrise snorkel. We get the chance to wake up with the marine creatures and begin the day in a way I wish I could start every day. The sunrise was simply stunning and all the critters were stirring. Upon entering the harbour I saw over a dozen cowhead stingrays attempting to hold onto those last moments of sleep. They covered the bottom the harbour buried nicely under their sandy blankets. Green sea turtles swam throughout the harbour as well. We went out to explore the sunken ship and hunt for as much as we could see. It was absolutely incredible to wake up with the sea creatures. There was so much to explore and find. Rabbitfish, tang, black-tipped reef sharks, the whole thing was mind-blowing. We did well swimming as a group and keeping each other safe. It was cool to see everyone get more comfortable with their flippers in the water. Pictures can't even do it justice. Overall, today was an amazing day, a sunrise snorkel, the first lab completed and so much more to learn. I'm beginning to connect more with my classmates and professors, which is wonderful. Being a recent graduate everyone I am out here with will one day be a colleague if not a friend. I hope we can learn from each other and take what we learn into our future endeavors. I see so much potential in all of my peers I can't wait to see what they do with it. The researchers, the engineers, the public speakers, the activists. We will all do amazing things, together and as individuals. The world is our oyster as well as our responsibility and I wouldn't rather it be in any other hands. Despite this I do find myself weary for the future. My own future rests heavy and I'm still learning how to balance the weight. The future of the planet and humanity weighs heavier though less loud as my own personal direction. What will this place be in 10, 20, 30 years? What can I do to help it be the same if not better than it is now? What are my dreams anyway? How do I know I'm heading the right direction if I don't have the faintest clue what the end looks like? At 24 I'm beginning to think that steps forward are steps forward, even if the direction is questionable.
Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly, or clumsily, or slowly. Pace and grace are not near as important the fact that I'm moving and thinking at all. Life is one big experience, one big journey and it's silly to try and map it step by step. I'll keep exploring, playing, toying with ideas making sure to check in and see where I'm at, but I'm sure whatever road I travel will do just fine. And well, if not there's always backtracking or cutting a new path. I've got my passion, my determination, good friends, an even better family and plethora of opportunity. I think I'll be alright. After being fitted with full snorkel gear including a wetsuit, snorkeling mask and flippers, we were ready to set foot in the water. Getting the wetsuit on for the first time was difficult to say the least, but I'm sure that will get easier as I become more acquainted with it. We walked down to beach for a pre-sunset snorkel. The trick is to come into the water, slip on your fins and then walk backwards until you're in a little more than knee-high water. Then turn around and do a graceful face plant into the water. Relax. Breath through your mouth. Enjoy the view. I was immediately amazed with the world hidden under the water's surface. I had seen reef systems around Hawaii when I had been there, but it would appear that time had dampened my memory of the experience. There was a whole world around us living life, feeding, swimming, sleeping, existing. Now for a moment I was able to be a part of that world. I'm sure I stuck out like a sore thumb, but if I don't mind the fish I'm sure they won't mind me much either. We danced in and out of schools of parrot fish, damselfish, rabbitfish and the like. Coral showcased its polyps if only for a second before returning to the safety of their skeletal structure. The sheer number of different organisms I witnessed was astounding. There were so many different colors, shapes, sizes and speeds. Sea cucumbers were littered all over the place and even a few sea stars were spotted. I struggled to identify many of them, knowing I had seen them in my manual but realizing that I hadn't studied quite as much as I should have. The group of us continued to spread and thin, eager to see as much as we could. As the snorkel progressed I became used to my gear and more confident with my swimming abilities. We were called back to shore a bit too soon, but I was granted the opportunity to swim with a majestic green turtle on the way out. I was so excited to witness it glide through the water. It held such grace, making not a ripple or sound with every stroke. Much different than the splashing mess of sound all of us were making throughout the lagoon. I wished I could follow it forever, learn its life, learn its way. Oh, the things it must see. The places it gets to meet. After a two hour ferry ride from Gladstone, Queensland, Australia, we arrived. The Heron Island I had seen the island before on David Attenborough's Blue Planet, but nothing prepared me for the beauty when I arrived. More than a beauty, there was a welcoming. I don't know if it was the island itself, the group that I was to embark on this incredible journey with or a nice mix of both. Either way, I couldn't help be feel overwhelmed. Disembarking from the ferry to meet some of the staff and get settled into what would be our living quarters for the next couple weeks, I was first reminded of Hawaii. I spent four wonderful months of the Big Island a couple years back and it had been the most wondrous, challenging and eye-opening experience of my life. Though this island was much smaller, roughly half a kilometer measured longways, taking only 15 minutes to walk from one end to the other, I believe this place will challenge and better me by its own means. After a brief tour around the Queensland Research Center, we were allowed to unpack into our housing. The accommodations were quaint and clean. We split the class up, boys to their rooms and girls to theirs. My roommates and I settled in nicely and then went to enjoy lunch. The food, prepared by an on-site chef and soon-to-be friend, Pat was delicious. We were released to finish unpacking, expected to return for a safety briefing and course rundown. The typical lab safety was discussed as well as some additional precautions specific to the island (i.e. never swim alone, don't touch anything unless instructed, keep yourself accounted for, etc.). After that we went for an introductory snorkel and what an experience that was.
Needless to say, Sydney was spectacular. Big cities aren't usually my territory, but this proved an interesting experience for me. The asphalt jungle breeds a lifestyle all its own. Much louder and busier than my quiet mountains back home. Somehow intricate to watch the people as they moved about. Crowds and swarms of them filled the famous Sydney Harbour. Each looking to get the perfect shot of the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. From a cruise through the harbour I managed to get a picture of both. These two spectacular pieces of architecture astounded me. How many months, years of planning went into each structure before they even broke ground and really got to work.
How many tossed blueprint sheets narrowly missing the waste bin? How many sleepless nights and grueling design meetings? More than I care to count. The mathematical calculations, engineering know-how, creative force and sheer determination were only the beginning of these masterpieces. Then came the rest. The hours baking in the hot sun to pour concrete, construct the farms, measuring, remeasuring, cutting, grinding, welding, for days on end. The men who erected these marvels with their strength, constructing expertise, work ethic and passion for the trade made these what they are today. I imagine the engineers and architects marveling at the work of the craftsman as they make the once 2-D image larger than life. I'm sure there were scuffles as there usually are between the creator and the builder. It would appear that whatever bugs existed were worked out for these structures stand tall to this day. Both beautiful in their own right. Both inspiring amazement and gratitude to those that made them possible. |
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About MeAn educated outdoor enthusiast with a passion for the planet and all its inhabitants, I wish to be a liaison between the scientific world and the public. I believe that knowledge and compassion are the keys to understanding and bettering our complex existence on this beautiful Earth. Archives |