I'm sorry...I'm way behind on my personal journal. But I'm trying to catch up! Here's a little more...
Thursday was our first boat trip to go snorkeling off the island. The water clarity was perfect; I could see straight down 15ft to the bottom! It was gorgeous. The coral was so much more interesting than it was right off the island, and the fish were way bigger! We saw several sea turtles and a HUGE 8ft. Manta Ray! The adventure was really cool, until…CELP! Little jelly-like ciphonophores with plenty of stinging cells filled the water around us. Though their sting wasn’t awful, it was definitely unpleasant, and it made me end my snorkeling adventure early. Good thing, though, because when I hopped back into the dingy, I got to see dolphins playing in the wild! They were so cool! They jumped right out, just like they do in the movies! It was exciting :-) The rest of the day was just more fishy research.
Friday was more research, in preparation for our presentations the next day. We took another boat trip for snorkeling, just in another place of the ocean. We saw some more cool fish, and let the current just float us back towards the island. Later, while we were ashore, I was getting ready to catch som sun when I heard someone yell “WHALES!” I thought this to be kind of strange, because the whale migration had already passed by Heron Island, and we had missed it. But sure enough, as I made my way to the beach, I could see a Humpback whale breeching! (Breeching is when they come out of the water). We watched them (there were 3, probably young males looking for mates) swim all the way through the channel. Not only did they breech a couple more times, but we also got to see the characteristic tail-slap and pectoral fin slap as well! So awesome!
That night, Glen organized a night snorkel for us, where we’d swim all the way off shore to the wrecked boat that greeted guests to the island...in the dark. Everyone was extremely nervous, but I was a little more so than others. Armed with snorkeling gear as well as glow sticks and “torches” (torch=flashlight), we headed out to the beach. I was really REALLY scared, but I remembered my Australian mottos and decided to have a go! We swam out towards the wreck, and immediately were greeted by huge sleeping sea turtles! They were so cool. There were a couple of Loggerheads, and several Greens. As we got further from the shore, I got more and more nervous. Everyone seemed to be kicking so quickly, they were pulling away from me! I tried to kick & kick to keep up, but it just wasn’t working. I couldn’t breathe out of my snorkel, and I felt myself start to hyperventilate. I looked around me. “Guys, will someone go slower with me? I can’t keep up…it’s hard to breathe.” Everyone ignored me, too enthralled in the sea floor. I could feel myself freaking out. I was either going to drown, or get left behind, I thought to myself. I started yelling for people to slow down, hoping Glen would here my begging and wait for me to catch up. He did, and he grabbed my hand and calmed me down (I was crying like a baby at this point :-( ) and stayed with me for the rest of the snorkel. I felt like such a 5-year-old then, being brought in front of the class and laughed at for being scared, but I was really glad that Glen stayed with me, or else I would’ve been much worse off. The rest of the group had made it ashore, but Glen and I were slowly making our way back in, as calmly as possible. I saw a flash in front of me. It was something…BIG. “What was that?!” I yelled, fear in my voice. “Oh, just a shark. No big deal. Just keep swimming,” Glen told me nonchalantly. “A SHARK?!” A huge, 6 ft. black tip reef shark swam by us, only 10 ft. ahead! I was really hoping it would just leave, but nope, it swam by us again. Even though I was terrified at the moment, I look back now and think it’s really cool that I’m the only one in the group that was so close to the shark. It was actually the biggest shark anyone saw during our stay on Heron Island! So, I finished the terrifying night snorkel, saw some cool stuff, and decided that night snorkeling will never be an aspect of my career.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
I’M GONNA BE ON TV! (Wednesday, June 3, 2009)
So we got up this morning for an early snorkel on the Reef, and Glenn informed us that a camera crew was going to be following us around for a popular Australian children’s show called “Totally Wild.” Of course, no one was opposed. They got some sweet footage of us walking out to the beach in our snorkeling gear, setting up transect lines for project work in the ocean, and even a little of us learning during lecture in the classroom.
I recently joined a new research group when we came to this island, and the show’s producers chose me & my new group to do an interview! We had to sign a talent release form and everything, and they told us that they’ll email us 2 weeks before the show airs! Since we obviously won’t be in Aussie when it airs, they told us they’d mail us each a copy & everything. Pretty awesome!
We spent the rest of the day basically doing research. Our project for Heron Island is to explore the density & diversity of reef fish in three different areas on the island. There are some really cool fish out there! I really like the damselfish because there are such a wide variety of them; they come in so many colors and patterns!
Later, we were scheduled to have lecture after dinner. When it came time for dinner, Glenn said “Lecture tonight has been cancelled. We’re going over the resort for a very important experience in your Australian education.” What kind of educational experience could be present at an island paradise resort? Turns out it was the first game in the State of Origin rugby tournament, and he just really wanted to watch it, lol. So he taught us a little about the game, which is similar to American football. They don’t use padding, but they still get just as rough as in football. The ball can only be passed backwards, not forward. Everything else pretty much went over my head. Surprising. So we were “barracking” for the Queensland team, which was up against New South Wales. The reason I say barracking is because “rooting” for a team (as we would say in America), in a nationally accepted way of saying “sexual intercourse.” My Uncle Roger taught me this before I left on the trip, and I never thought I would have to use such advice. Hahaha but I’m sure glad he told me! Anyways, so we ordered fancy (& expensive!) drinks at the resort bar while we watched a bit of the game. Queensland ending up winning (yay!). I really love that my crazy professor considers a rugby game more educational than a lecture. This rocks!
I recently joined a new research group when we came to this island, and the show’s producers chose me & my new group to do an interview! We had to sign a talent release form and everything, and they told us that they’ll email us 2 weeks before the show airs! Since we obviously won’t be in Aussie when it airs, they told us they’d mail us each a copy & everything. Pretty awesome!
We spent the rest of the day basically doing research. Our project for Heron Island is to explore the density & diversity of reef fish in three different areas on the island. There are some really cool fish out there! I really like the damselfish because there are such a wide variety of them; they come in so many colors and patterns!
Later, we were scheduled to have lecture after dinner. When it came time for dinner, Glenn said “Lecture tonight has been cancelled. We’re going over the resort for a very important experience in your Australian education.” What kind of educational experience could be present at an island paradise resort? Turns out it was the first game in the State of Origin rugby tournament, and he just really wanted to watch it, lol. So he taught us a little about the game, which is similar to American football. They don’t use padding, but they still get just as rough as in football. The ball can only be passed backwards, not forward. Everything else pretty much went over my head. Surprising. So we were “barracking” for the Queensland team, which was up against New South Wales. The reason I say barracking is because “rooting” for a team (as we would say in America), in a nationally accepted way of saying “sexual intercourse.” My Uncle Roger taught me this before I left on the trip, and I never thought I would have to use such advice. Hahaha but I’m sure glad he told me! Anyways, so we ordered fancy (& expensive!) drinks at the resort bar while we watched a bit of the game. Queensland ending up winning (yay!). I really love that my crazy professor considers a rugby game more educational than a lecture. This rocks!
Oohh Heron Island (Tuesday, June 2, 2009)
I woke up this morning soo excited for our journey to Heron Island, and all I could think about was how fabulous the week ahead of me would be. But I tell ya, every single day has some sort of surprise twist, and it never ends up being as it seems. We pulled up to the ferry that would take us the 2 hour 15 minute journey to the beautiful coral cay; no one seemed nervous, and most everyone was just excited for some stability & sun. About 15 minutes out of the harbor, the waves started getting really rough. I was originally writing in my scientific journal, but I noticed the drop in my stomach (that darn roller-coastery feeling again) and stopped writing immediately. Someone around me asked, “Ashley, do you normally get seasick?” probably in response to the greening in my face. How was I supposed to know? Of course I don’t get seasick on the speed boats we use for tubing around our little freshwater lakes in Michigan, so how was I to compare? One of the hostesses aboard the boat came to my side, asking if I’d like to head down to the lower deck, where the ship would feel more stable. I went with her willingly as the boat rocked violently from side to side in the open ocean.
When I reached the lower deck, I was the only person out of our group of 21 people to come down. But slowly the number grew, each individual looking greener by the minute. My strategy was to look out the window at the horizon, focusing my entire body on that line where the ocean meets the sky. The boat continued to rock violently, and my stomach was convinced I was at Cedar Point, NOT Queensland, Australia. The mantra that went through my head was “Mind over matter, mind over matter,” and apparently I had myself convinced, because I made it all 135 minutes without getting sick! Now, the others on the boat were a different story. 5 people out of our 21 got sick, and plenty of others that weren’t in our group did as well. Ewww. Soo glad that wasn’t me.
When we finally arrived on Heron Island, we put all the boat trouble behind us. Bright clear-blue waters welcomed us on shore, and we jumped into our first nature hike. The island is tiny; only 800x400 meters! We walked out to the crystal-clear beach to have a look in the water, and we came across a pile of at least 50 stingrays, just feeding on the substrate. As Glenn talked a little more about the Island, someone spotted a dorsal fin sticking out of the shallow water. “SHARK!!” someone yelled. Sure enough, a 10 meter-long Hammerhead shark was feeding on the stingrays, right in front of our eyes. It zipped back and forth along the sand, not even caring that a huge group of people were standing feet away. It was soo cool! I’ve never seen anything like that before, and Glenn even said that we were very lucky to have seen such a feeding, as it is a rare occurrence so close to shore. God I love this place :-)
When I reached the lower deck, I was the only person out of our group of 21 people to come down. But slowly the number grew, each individual looking greener by the minute. My strategy was to look out the window at the horizon, focusing my entire body on that line where the ocean meets the sky. The boat continued to rock violently, and my stomach was convinced I was at Cedar Point, NOT Queensland, Australia. The mantra that went through my head was “Mind over matter, mind over matter,” and apparently I had myself convinced, because I made it all 135 minutes without getting sick! Now, the others on the boat were a different story. 5 people out of our 21 got sick, and plenty of others that weren’t in our group did as well. Ewww. Soo glad that wasn’t me.
When we finally arrived on Heron Island, we put all the boat trouble behind us. Bright clear-blue waters welcomed us on shore, and we jumped into our first nature hike. The island is tiny; only 800x400 meters! We walked out to the crystal-clear beach to have a look in the water, and we came across a pile of at least 50 stingrays, just feeding on the substrate. As Glenn talked a little more about the Island, someone spotted a dorsal fin sticking out of the shallow water. “SHARK!!” someone yelled. Sure enough, a 10 meter-long Hammerhead shark was feeding on the stingrays, right in front of our eyes. It zipped back and forth along the sand, not even caring that a huge group of people were standing feet away. It was soo cool! I’ve never seen anything like that before, and Glenn even said that we were very lucky to have seen such a feeding, as it is a rare occurrence so close to shore. God I love this place :-)
Rainbow Beach (Monday, June 1, 2009)
Soo we woke up this morning to a somewhat overcast sky in Tin Can Bay. We all search in the trip itinerary to see what we’ll be doing today, and 18 pairs of eyes spot “Rainbow Beach.” 18 growls follow. “Seriously, it’s cold outside and it looks like it’s about to rain. Are we honestly going to go to the beach?” It’s pretty obvious that we’d all rather just sleep on a 4 hour bus ride than take a nature walk down another beach. Little did we know that our day @ Rainbow Beach would be one we wouldn’t forget!
We jump off the bus and immediately hike into a eucalyptus-dense forest. After about 15 minutes of climbing up hills and fending off forest plants, the sky opens up, and we’re in the middle of the biggest sand blow anyone has ever seen. It’s extravagant! How can there be so much piled sand all in one area? And so close to the ocean? It was beautiful. Glenn says “Race you to the top!” And half of the group takes off up the steep slope. Others of us start walking toward the ocean (or what we thought was the ocean). It feels like we’re almost to the beach when we stop only feet away from a HUGE cliff. “About 300 feet down to the beach,” Glenn tells us, “Go on, have a go!” He wants us to what? Go down that 300 ft. cliff? STRAIGHT DOWN?! Everyone was a little overwhelmed. My fear of heights took over my body, and I froze up. There was no way I’d make it down without some sort of panic attack. But Glenn took my hand and led me down the sandy “cliff,” and you wouldn’t believe it, but I made it all the way down, all 300 feet. That was a huge accomplishment for me! I looked back up at that mountain and laughed. I still can’t believe I did that!
The cliff run was pretty much the highlight of our day, and after our adrenaline levels came back down to normal, we went for a little stroll through the actual town of Rainbow Beach. It was a nice, quaint little town where we had lunch and bought some goodies for our long 4 hour bus ride to Gladstone. On the way to Gladstone, we watched a couple of movies, one of them being Toy Story 2! We all claim to be independent adults, but the children in us tend to seep out when it comes to our movie choices, apparently. Nevertheless, it certainly helped the long ride to our next stop on this amazing trip go a little faster.
We jump off the bus and immediately hike into a eucalyptus-dense forest. After about 15 minutes of climbing up hills and fending off forest plants, the sky opens up, and we’re in the middle of the biggest sand blow anyone has ever seen. It’s extravagant! How can there be so much piled sand all in one area? And so close to the ocean? It was beautiful. Glenn says “Race you to the top!” And half of the group takes off up the steep slope. Others of us start walking toward the ocean (or what we thought was the ocean). It feels like we’re almost to the beach when we stop only feet away from a HUGE cliff. “About 300 feet down to the beach,” Glenn tells us, “Go on, have a go!” He wants us to what? Go down that 300 ft. cliff? STRAIGHT DOWN?! Everyone was a little overwhelmed. My fear of heights took over my body, and I froze up. There was no way I’d make it down without some sort of panic attack. But Glenn took my hand and led me down the sandy “cliff,” and you wouldn’t believe it, but I made it all the way down, all 300 feet. That was a huge accomplishment for me! I looked back up at that mountain and laughed. I still can’t believe I did that!
The cliff run was pretty much the highlight of our day, and after our adrenaline levels came back down to normal, we went for a little stroll through the actual town of Rainbow Beach. It was a nice, quaint little town where we had lunch and bought some goodies for our long 4 hour bus ride to Gladstone. On the way to Gladstone, we watched a couple of movies, one of them being Toy Story 2! We all claim to be independent adults, but the children in us tend to seep out when it comes to our movie choices, apparently. Nevertheless, it certainly helped the long ride to our next stop on this amazing trip go a little faster.
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