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Today we woke up to pretty bad conditions. It was super windy and the temperature had dropped. We headed to out early mourning snorkel as we were walking we could see white caps out in the water. We entered the boat harbor and we were just getting tossed around the harbor. The conditions were bad, visibility was about four feet, and we were getting blown around by the wind. We quickly called the snorkel a bust. As we headed in I was startled by something hard hitting my chest. It was a Green sea turtle that had about the same visibility as we did. It scared the crap out of me and I'm sure I scared the crap out of him. We got dressed in regular clothes and went to have breakfast.
After breakfast we went to lecture and learned about some of the invertebrates that lived in the coral and surrounding areas. Because of the weather our schedule today was pretty messed up. We did our invertebrate lab today and went to take soil core samples. This was supposed to be a pretty hard lab but me and my partner, Nora, got our samples really fast and returned to start working on the lab. The longest part of the lab was waiting for everyone to finish counting the organisms in their samples. We took a lunch break and are still waiting on the final people to finish up their labs, but hey at least the other class left the island today so that's a plus. While the other students were finishing the lab Me Edd, Sam, and Zach went to go test our luck out on the reef again. The conditions were still very windy but we decided to give it a go. There were a couple Cow head sting rays sitting right off shore, also their were some Black tip pups. We went over to the part of the reef that had been destroyed by a cyclone that came through about a year ago. It was really intriguing to see how the dead coral became a base layer of the new coral that was growing. It was very compelling to see how the ocean is a master of fixing itself. We were following the concrete wall that marks the boundary of the boat dock. We saw lots of sea turtles, and many mean looking groupers. All of a sudden we were face to face with a five foot Black tip! It was so cool watching him check us out and slowly swim into the abyss, it was a truly humbling experience. We started to head into the bay to get out of the water as we got to the beach Trisha yelled at us that their was tons of rays hanging in the sand. Me and Zach had a pretty close call with a big ray. We didn't want to take the chance on the beach so we decided to exit the harbor from the jetty. We then headed to dinner where the all supreme Chef Pat blessed us once again. The blessing that our Savior Pat bestowed upon us today was: Breakfast: Eggs that gifted the pallet with its touch and cheese that even the snobbiest Frenchman couldn't turn down, fruit that was caught in a blanket made of clouds as it fell from the trees and was instantly served, finished of with a coconut and bananas muffin and let me tell you this is the first time I preferred coconut as a dish rather then a article of clothing. Lunch: A pulled pork sandwich that made Kahlua taste like a Mc'rib this sandwich was so good you would see Pumba going back for seconds, then we follow that up with salad straight from the hills of romaine, and some delectable quinoa. Dinner: We walk into the kitchen to find a bowl of braised beef. This beef actually came from a calf that Pat raised from birth, you could definitely tell that he nurtured this calf with love and affection. On top of this bowl was a delicious piece of crisp that made the mouth water and hungry for more. There was then veggies that were gifted to Pat from the Jolly Green Giant himself. To top it off mashed potatoes that were cooked with great care, these potatoes were so good even Mr. Potato Head would feast on them. Desert: We are talking about mousse that could cure the worst of depression. Topped with the orange from the Minute Maid commercials, and berries that made even the sweetest of candy seem bland. Pat has brought me so much happiness through food but with great happiness causes great pain. The birds did not keep me up last night despite their efforts. I set my alarm for 5:15 to get ready for the first early morning snorkel dive. I awoke to my alarm but I quickly turned it off not even realizing the sound that was coming from it. Clark asks me, "Was that your alarm" not even thinking I replied, "Yeah man." Anyway we all quickly wake up get "suited and booted for the dive get and get our partners, mine was Janna, and Jeni. We walk down to the boat dock and we quickly spot sea turtles all over the harbor. I quickly got in and snorkeled with them. We worked our way into the harbor and we were soon swimming feet over massive Cow head Stingrays that had to be several feet wide. The conditions were immaculate every where we looked there was either a turtle, ray, shark, or beautiful schools of fish. We went out to the ship wreck and saw many different types of life living in all the cracks and crevasses. I looked back out towards the island and saw the most beautiful sunrise I had ever seen, absolutely breathtaking. I saw some small Black tip reef sharks and followed them for awhile. As we were returning to the island we saw another ray breach the surface of the water. After returning from breakfast me Sean, Clark, and Zach went back to our room they then asked me why I set an alarm so early this morning i just shrugged and said I don't know they then asked what song was playing. I quickly pulled out my phone embarrassed by what it could have been. As I play my alarm sound it started, "When I Grow up I want to be famous, want to be a star, I wanna be in movies." I then just start laughing and was like I love this song, then proceed to sing the rest of the song with the guys. We then went to our first lecture and learned about corals and how they grow. After lecture we had some down time so me Sean and Zach decided to go explore the island. After going through the small jungle on the island we ended up going to North Beach and was immediately impressed by how pristine the beach was. After messing around playing in the water we all went to get some sun. I set my hammock up and quickly fell asleep in my hammock on a island in the middle of the ocean, whats more boujee then that? We then saw Edd ruining laps on the beach. After the second time he came around he laughed at some beach art that I had made. We then returned to get some lunch and work on our lab. Luckily the conditions were good so we got it done really fast and were able to have some more down time. Me Sean, Zach, Hailey, and Nora went down to check out Shark Bay. There was lots of broken pumice and Cow head rays right on the edge of the water. This place is absolutely beautiful and after watching the sunset on the jetty again we saw another Spotted eagle ray breach the water. Just when I think it cant get any better it does. The stars were so beautiful especially out on the jetty. We saw a bunch of huge logger head turtles resting underneath the dock late at night. it was a sight to see. Food: Gifted to us by the great Chef Pat
Breakfast: Eggs that had been hatched by a golden chicken, Bacon straight from the gates of Valhalla and then marinated in pure innocence until it was aged to perfection, fruits that came straight from the tree of temptation, a salad from the garden of Eden, and toast that was harvested by a old wise bearded man. Lunch: Nachos that would even make Donald Trump shake maracas and yell out "Aribba, Aribba!," a chili that was made from Jacks magic beans, and a salad that would make Sam Elliot go vegetarian Dinner: Couscous that felt like little drops of happiness in your mouth, Moroccan chicken that I would murder somebody for just to taste again, an assortment of veggies grown with love. Desert: Vanilla custard poured with great passion over a warm Apple sponge cake that would make Rachel Ray blush. The "study" part of the trip began as we embarked on the Heron Islander. As we worked our way away from our dock and through the long harbor I found myself glued to the rail, not because of the seasickness but because of the excitement that was coursing through my veins. We came across a different site that you would not expect to see as you are heading to a remote island in the Great Barrier Reef, there were dozens of tanker ships anchored off shore. Me and Edd were discussing why they were there and it was because of the massive mining boom that Australia had gone through in the past couple of years. These ships were grim reminders of the massive economic boom that Australia had in recent years. Many of these massive ships were sitting very high out of the water, some you could even see the rudder protruding from the sediment rich green water. Looking back over the industrial city of Gladstone you could see very well the thick smog and pollution that the city is producing. Not being a major tourist attraction the Australian government tends to turn the cheek when it comes to the look of the city.
As my lungs filled with the beautiful smell of "ocean air," it really hit me that not to long ago I would have never guessed that I would be on the other side of the planet. The water which had been filled with many sediments turned into a beautiful blue. The ride to the island was about an hour of open ocean plus the time it took to get out of the harbor. After we passed by some smaller islands we had finally reached our home for the next couple of weeks. The famous shipwreck that is shown in many of the advertisements of the island was right in front of us. There were many different types of birds resting on it. The first notable species we saw was a Spotted Eagle Ray, flying elegantly through the crystal clear water. Shortly after that a Black Tip Reef Shark swam by the boat. We took our tour of the island from the staff and I instantly fell in love with this mile by mile and a half rock in the middle of the sea. There were many different types of birds flying above us and all I could think about was getting in that beautiful water. After lunch and handing out our snorkeling gear our class deiced to go for an evening snorkel session. The water was perfect temperature and we quickly saw a wide variety of fish. I saw so many Parrot Fish of a variety of sizes, tons of Sea cucumbers and even a eel of some kind. After about an hour of snorkeling I came face to face with a Giant Grouper. This Groper had to weigh at least 70 pounds, it was a massive fish and it did not seem to keen on me and my snorkel buddy Clark on being in its area. We carefully swam away and headed towards the drop off. It felt so good to be back in the deep water, it had been to long since I was in the Pacific Ocean. We made our way to the shore and got out on the beach. as soon as I started to take my wet suit off a school of baby Black Tips made their way to the beach I immediately got back in the water to get up close and personal with them. They did not stay long and quickly made their way back to the deeper water. Me and Brynn tried to find them again but they quickly vanished. We discovered that they were hunting the Swift Footed Crabs that inhabit the island. After rinsing off we went to the Jetty and watched the sunset. This was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen and to top it off we saw a Eagle Ray jump out of the water right in front of us. Many Green Sea turtles and Black Tip Sharks entered the harbor as the sun went down the area became so loud with all the birds returning of the island. Some of us decided to go down and see the sunset down at the jetty. We walked down quickly spotted Cow head Stingrays. We saw a couple of Green Turtles. As the sun started to set we saw beautiful streaks of orange blues purples and reds. The sunset brought in the sharks we saw a five foot Black tip reef shark that was super fat. As the sun was in its final stages a Spotted eagle ray jumped out of the water, the scene was almost like it was in a movie. Dinner was amazing Pat the chief made personal lasagnas and a delicious maple muffin that tasted just like waffles and syrup. This was an amazing first day and I am so excited that I made this amazing decision. |