14
Location: The Bight, Norman Island
This morning was very relaxed, and some people were able to sleep in till around eight, which was definitely different from the other mornings. While people were sleeping, Manola and Trisha made some delicious pancakes with options of syrup or Nutella as toppings. After breakfast, we sailed to our new location called the Bite (Norman Island), and we swam/ tanned for most of the afternoon. But out of nowhere, a turtle was spotted, so Wil and Lindsey jumped into the water to try and catch it. Lindsey dove down into the water and came up with a giant turtle in her hands. We were all so excited and quickly jumped into action to sterilize the table in order to tag it. While the staff were trying to get the turtle into the dingy, Wil, Margo, Samira, Rishi, and Edie put gloves on so they could help haul the turtle onto the table. It was definitely tedious to get the giant green turtle onto the boat safely, but we were successful in the end. While on the table, we took measurements of the turtle, photographed any abnormalities, and tagged the turtle. It was very exciting to see the turtle up close and be able to know that the work we just did will help turtle research in the future.
To keep the excitement going, we helped a rescue organization by acting out a scenario for new trainees to apply their knowledge. Manola called the organization, and while they were on their way, everyone got into position. Wil puts ketchup on himself to make him look injured, and Margo acts like she got cut by the prop. When the rescue boat (Visar) arrived, everyone started screaming and fake crying. Katie definitely deserves an award for her acting. It honestly made it feel like the scenario was real. I have no idea how no one was bursting out in laughter because everyone was just freaking out. When the rescue crew finished the job, we sat down with them and talked with them about how we came up with our scenario. The rest of the day was pretty relaxed. We had sandwiches for dinner and started packing up. We also started writing cards to everyone on the boat and to AQ. It’s hard to believe that tomorrow is our last day here.
-Rhylee