The adventure continues! The middle of the week has some of the biggest excursions of the trip: the coral reef and educational aquarium. Read all about it:
In this Update:
Day 4: Landlubbers at the Coral Reef!
With weather looking great we set out for our dive and snorkel activity at the Coral Reef. We visited two locations: Coffin Patch and the Donut. I received reports of at least one sea turtle, moray eels, and fish of every type. There even was a manatee off the dock before we left! Of course all of these things appeared while I, the photographer, had my back turned… There were some strong waves but the water was perfect. On the second dive location we spotted a comb jelly. While they are mostly harmless, this caused some to return to the boat and enjoy the reef from a distance. I ran into the jelly about four times and lived to tell the tale. After some time, seasickness did set in for a couple of students in spite of medication. This all cleared up after a speedy return to shore.
Thank you to our Gold & Silver Sponsors who made this trip possible!
Marv & Joie Suson | Bojar Family | Michael & Denise Lane | Jonah & Naomi VanPietersom | Stitch It! Custom Embroidery & Sew Much More| Corienne ‘Coco’ Walek Real Estate | AriZona Tea
>>> Sponsor our next trip! <<<
Day 5: Feeding Sharks!
Aquarium Encounters is one of our favorite places to bring the students. They have designed a high quality educational facility that allows us to observe the Coral Reef habitat and its animals in a more controlled environment. We started the morning early so we could get the lecture finished in time before the facility opened to the public. Then groups took turns entering the Coral Reef tank where they fed the stingrays and the fish. They then swam over to the dividing glass between the reef and shark tanks and hand fed sharks through holes in the glass. After the tank experience, students worked on their classification work and lab books using the information and displays around the aquarium. Besides the tanks, there were stingray petting tanks and a nursery, a manatee tank, touch pools, and other small tanks with lobsters, groupers, parrot fish, tarpon, and nurse sharks.
Day 6: Last day for excursions!
The week has flown by! This was the last day for excursions. Groups made the most of it by visiting the mangrove, grass flat, and rocky coast habitats one last time. Each group is assigned a habitat they are required to develop an oral presentation for. These final visits serve as an observation lab to help generate ideas for students and see in nature what they have learned in lecture all week. The mangroves are a tricky place to visit as kicking or swimming too hard will stir up the ground and blind your vision. The grass flats can be easily navigated with only 5-6 feet of water. Two sting rays were observed in the grass flats. The rocky coast is, well, full of rocks (so watch your step!). Once back at base camp, groups worked hard on their lab books, classifying, and developing their posters and presentations for final evaluation. Students ended the day with a volleyball game.
Thank you to our Gold & Silver Sponsors who made this trip possible!
Marv & Joie Suson | Bojar Family | Michael & Denise Lane | Jonah & Naomi VanPietersom | Stitch It! Custom Embroidery & Sew Much More| Corienne ‘Coco’ Walek Real Estate | AriZona Tea
>>> Sponsor our next trip! <<<
Keep Us in Your Prayers
Please keep praying for the following while we are on our trip:
- For good health and rest for all staff and students as a bug has gone through the group in the last 3 days.
- For students to prepare well for their presentations and show their best on their final test.
- For God to move in the hearts of our students as they learn about Him through His Creation.
- Good weather and safety on land and water.
- Good relationships to develop between students, staff, and the places we visit.
See you again soon!
Creative Director / Producer