To boat or not to boat

Our day today was split into two! Those who like boats and those who don't. Or more accurately, those who get seasick and those who don't. For those who do get seasick, their day started a little bit earlier.  Skipping down to the beach at 9am, the early birds boarded their vessel hoping for calm seas. Their wishes were not granted as the wind started to pick up as the boat headed out toward the barrier reef surrounding Graham's Harbor. Direct quote: "land good, boat bad" -Jacob Edgington. Their boat experience included two guests, one of whom provided the fish with half digested frosted flakes, setting a bad tone for the queasy sailors. Bobbing on the waves, their troubles were rewarded with views of recovering Elkhorn and Staghorn coral, whose populations have been decimated by recent hurricanes and algal blooms. Returning back to the boat, they made their way to Green Cay, a small island off the peninsula, full of iguanas and very sharp karst. Happy to be back on land, the morning group celebrated by attempting to kiss an iguana, and promptly heard "NO" from Mike. Salmonella can't be that bad, right? Begrudgingly, they boarded their vessel and had a wavy, choppy ride back to shore. 

(Staghorn coral straight vibes) 

(Elkhorn coral regrowth over dead spooky Elkhorn skeleton)

A quick lunch break of hamburgers and fries later, those who don't get seasick where excited and on the beach by 1pm. A happy little jaunt out to the barrier reef later (with no vomiting), those who boat tested out their diving skills, by falling out of the boat backwards like "professional" divers. Again, their day was filled with wonderful Elkhorn and some beautiful Staghorn thickets, bringing hope for the Caribbean reefs. Cruising through the water, those who boat were pleased to see lots of herbivores, including surgeonfish and parrotfish, along with a juvenile sea turtle. Disappointed about the lack of sharks, they headed back to the boat to check out Green Cay. A short boat ride got us to the island to harass some iguanas ("Don't harass the iguanas" -Mike). A bit of time to dry out and a helpful hand on a few stumbles was a nice break from the choppy water. But, they unfortunately had to get back to the mainland, so back to the spray they went. The ride back was slightly choppy, but those who boat ended up safely back on shore. 

(Big chillin on the boat, <3 Julian) 

(Big chillin, spaghetti night!!!)

A wonderful dinner of spaghetti (with breadsticks!!!) lead to some of the first full bellies in a while. Unfortunately, a door was left open for dinner, and the flies invited themselves to the feast (insert Lord of the Flies joke here). Class shortly followed, giving Mike a headache as we all made our wishes for the week LOUDLY known. Compromises were made. 

Boat day took a lot out of everyone, so night snorkeling got moved to tomorrow. A lot of work on our proposals is needed in the week to come, so a stop at the Snack Shack and a good night's sleep is on the agenda for the rest of this evening. 

-tally ho

Liz and Blake