Today is the 25th of May. After an awesome week of new experiences, we were able to enjoy a much needed morning of rest. Some of us took the privilege of attending a local church to experience a different type of Bahamian culture. We began our snorkeling adventure after lunch as we traveled to Telephone Pole Reef on the west side of the island. It is named as such because a telephone pole was dropped into the ocean at this location. A variety of corals have since taken advantage of this new structure, creating the extraordinary and vibrant reef that exists today. This reef was one of the most beautiful reefs we have experienced thus far. The water was crystal clear, making for a great view of the abundance of marine life. The purpose of our afternoon exploration was to practice identifying different species of fish that can be found around San Salvador. We encountered a wider range of intriguing fish at this location due to its proximity to the drop off, where there is an instantaneous change in ocean depth. This is amazingly visible by the drastic change in ocean color to a dark blue.
A few of the most exciting species we observed included the Black Durgon, Honeycomb Cowfish, Long-Spined Urchin, Yellow Stingray and a Nurse Shark. The Black Durgon attracted our attention because of its unique fins and way of swimming. For our group, this fish was among the favorites of today’s sightings. We also had the opportunity to see the Honeycomb Cowfish. This species got its name as a result of horn-like features appearing on its head. We have not come across many dangerous organisms on our trip thus far, but our professors forewarned us about possible dangers including the Long-Spined Urchin, also known as the Diadema. This urchin’s spines hold a toxin that is very painful if a spine punctures the skin. It is common for urchin crabs to acquire shelter from these urchins by inhabiting the space under the urchin’s spines, as pictured. The Yellow Stingray was another fascinating creature we had the opportunity to encounter. This was a good find because their coloring helps this animal blend in to the surrounding sediment. By far the most exciting organism we saw today was a Nurse Shark. This specific species is typically more active during the night, so it was a rare and lucky opportunity to have experienced this. As fascinated as we were by this animal, it did not seem to take any notice to us.
We finished the day with lecture regarding evolution, adaptation, fitness of an organism, and competition between closely related species. This afternoon, we were able to see this competitive nature in action as two fish appeared to be competing for space by having a stand-off.
Reflecting on our first week on Sal Salvador, our experiences have been indescribable. We have seen new and exciting creatures whose beauty cannot be justified through photographs. We look forward to what the next few weeks have in store for us.
Lauren Arona ’16 & Taylor Hurl ’15