Bimini: The Highs and Lows of Field Research

           We have now been in the Bahamas for a full week today marking the half- waypoint of our trip.  During our trip I have developed a whole new appreciation for field researchers and the massive amounts of time they put into their work.  Our group has had the opportunity to witness the highs and the lows of field research.  The lows: spending 4 hours on a boat in choppy seas only to see a few second glimpse of a sea turtle on the way back to the boat.  The highs: coming across a pod of 22 dolphins and being able to get in the water and witness their behavior in their natural habitat.  The highs have far out weighed the lows. With the much choppier water lately our encounter time has been more limited, but lucky for me I was blessed with the ability to be much faster and more graceful in water than I am on land and have been in the water a lot.  And I must say I don’t think there is anything cuter than a tiny dolphin calf, and they just love to show off.  From seat turtles to rain storms to dolphins the boat research has definitely been an amazing and eye opening experience in the world of field research.  

          We have also been able to take a look into other field researchers here in Bimini; the South Bimini Shark Lab allowed us to take a tour of their facilities and see some of what they do as well as touch a shark.  While an interesting trip, it allowed us to see some of the similarities and stark differences in field research methods and ethics practices between organizations.

            Life in Bimini has not been all work, we were lucky enough to be in the Bahamas during the Bahamian Independence Day celebration on July 10^th; the people gather for the national song, the pledge, a small parade, street bands, and fire works. For such a small island nation (not visible on most maps) the pride they take in their country was very cool to see. Also Bahamian fun fact, similar to that of their old English colonizers, Bahamians drive on the left side of the road. Any way, some down time gave us the chance to visit the mangroves of the north island and take an adventure to the healing hole.  The healing hole is a fresh water spring with sulfur and lithium deposits that are supposed to have a healing effect. I don’t really know about the healing part but it was definitely an adventure.  The next adventures: a sharks a rays snorkel trip and a mission to find Stewart’s Conch Stand who supposedly makes the best conch salad in Bimini.