Today was just another Monday here at the GRC...well, kind of. We devoured our breakfast of French toast and sausage that energized us for an exciting snorkel and dive trip out to Gaulin Reef. However, instead of the typical snorkel entrance from the shore, we boarded a boat and headed North towards Gaulin Cay, where we jumped right in off of the boat to explore a new reef. Only half of our group was lucky enough to experience this trip today, while the rest stayed back and worked on group projects (the other half will venture out on the boat tomorrow). Some of the exciting creatures we saw were eels, Hawksbill turtles, barracudas, a variety of parrotfish, and a HUGE southern stingray that could have swallowed us whole! On the way back to the island, we stopped at a nearby Cay that was home to thousands of nesting birds that flew just inches from our heads.
When we arrived back to the GRC, we ate one of our favorite lunches of pizza, pasta salad, and peaches. In the afternoon, we continued back to our daily routine of research in the field while some of us headed to Monument, Snapshot, Bonefish Bay, and North Point. Our research is coming along quite well, and most of us will be finishing our last day of data collecting tomorrow afternoon.
After showering up, we went to dinner and back to the lab to finish the last of the group presentations on coral. The night concluded with some studying, a visit to the snack shop, and heading to bed to rest up for the next big day out in the field.
Only 4 more days until you get to see our shining, tan faces! Bahamas <3