06/24/2023
Day 3! Another busy day down here in the islands, after getting cranked up with some biscuits and gravy (or fruit loops, for the majority of our gang..) we headed over to Big Pine Key for a boat trip out to Looe Key for our final snorkel. Here we saw a variety of species we hadn't seen yet, as well as some larger versions of ones we had. Highlights included a 5 ft barracuda, 6 ft nurse shark, reef shark, Goliath grouper, southern stingray, green moray eel and balloonfish. It is really impressive how well our group has advanced in snorkeling technique, as many of them will hold their breath and descend down to the seafloor to take a closer look. Apparently snorkeling also makes us hungry, as the emergency rations of Cheez-its and granola bars were eliminated on the ride back. After lunch, we had a lesson on sharks and had an opportunity to feed the captive nurse sharks here on the island and to examine a bonnethead shark specimen. After a short break, we returned to the classroom for a lesson on marine debris and ocean health, followed by a walk on the 7 mile bridge where we saw a Hawksbill turtle, some tarpon, a Bahamian sea star and another ray. After dinner, we headed out to the dock for some 'conservation angling,' where we caught plenty of mangrove snappers and blue-striped grunts. The highest catch was 14 for one of our students. We hooked a few sharks and even a tarpon, but couldn't get them landed. We even managed a few legal snappers, which will be some future dinner here for the island staff (unless someone sneaks them home in their bag.) Tomorrow we have a lesson on invasive species in the morning, then we head off the island and over to the Sea Turtle Hospital and Rehab Center before heading to Miami for our return flight. Thanks for following!
