Day 6 - Psychos and Ooids and Holes... OH MY!

            The Alarms went off again at 6:15 this morning, but waking up is never a challenge. We roll over in our bunks and look out the sliding glass doors of our dorm to see the sun rising over the ocean. This morning as the rosey rays sun and wafts of salty air drifted through the screen door, we were pulling on running shorts and t-shirts, preparing ourselves for the workout that we had been told the night before was called The Psycho (dun da dun daaa). We all made it through the super challenging and even psychotic workout. I know that I have been sore all day, but it was a really rewarding exercise.

            After an especially yummy breakfast, we learned about the formation of the Bahamas hundreds of millions of years ago. As it turns out, the entire system of islands is made of ooids, tiny particles of calcium carbonate and other mineral compounds. So, in the spirit of experiential learning we boarded a boat and rode out to a sandbar that is made entirely of these ooids which feel like extra-grainy sand. We snorkeled around the sandbar and saw rays, starfish, and lots of other really interesting marine life. The Island School dog, Lucky, even made the trip with us!

            Delving into the geology of the islands even further, we explored an ocean hole and a blue hole after lunch. An ocean hole is a land-locked, very deep depression in the earth that holds brackish water and many different species of fish. We got to explore a six hundred foot ocean hole and we even got to jump from the rock faces that encircled it. Next, we went to the blue hole, a chasm on the ocean floor that extends down for hundreds of feet, but is surrounded by relatively shallow water. Here, we saw a yellow ray, a grouper, and several jack.

            We returned exhausted with a very full day behind us. We had some time before dinner to do as we chose and some of us walked down to the marina store for a fix of junk food while others explored the campus or worked on tidying the dorms. We had another great dinner and now we are enjoying a night off that will be followed by a “sleep-in” tomorrow morning. We might watch a movie or just hang out and look at some of video that Ben and Max have been taking (thanks guys!)

            A big shout-out to Wes, Jenny, Serena, Scott, and everyone else who is making this trip a reality. We are all having an amazing time: over-coming challenges, experiencing new things, taking in the beauty of the place, and learning a ton about living sustainably and the Bahamian ecosystem.  Jimmy Buffet sings, “Wrinkles only go where the smiles have been” and we can only become wise through living life to its fullest, taking advantage of all opportunities, and smiling. We closed with this quote today because on this trip it has been amazing to gain appreciation and insight through having a simply amazing time. Say “hi” to everyone at home! We appreciate that you all sent us here and we miss you. Comments are super-dee-duper, so go ahead and leave those if you are so inclined. I hope that everyone’s holiday season is off to a good start. Save some snow for us!

Bella