Island Travel
Today started with a red sky…. we all know the old adage “red sky in the morn’ sailors take warn'”. Definitely began to see that in action today throughout our travels out to the South Short and Warwick Long Bay. After a filling breakfast of bacon, sausage, and waffles; we hopped on the BIOS bus with Greg and began the trek towards the other side of the Island. As we came down into Smith’s Parish, we could see the rollers off in the distance and the closer we got, the more we were able to see. After learning more about why the sand has a pinkish hue, Clare took us over to Jobson’s Cove to swim for a bit. The cove is very protected and has lots of really cool things to see. There was a crab shell that molted and left the old one behind, a brilliant parrot fish, many kiskadees, and great views of the cliffs. The swimming done, we then headed up the trails and over to Horseshoe Bay. Even though the breeze was freshening, there were lots of folks swimming and hanging around. A couple of miles of hiking and time spent swimming took us back to our waiting transport back to BIOS for Curry Chicken and much more.
Afternoon meetings at BIOS meant we were on our own to head out and explore via public bus. Almost all of the public buses are now electric, which is very new on the island but also very important to keeping emissions out on the roads at a minimum. We walked up the hill and around the corner and down the hill to the bus stop to take the ride over to BAMZ (Bermuda aquarium, museum, and zoo). As soon as we got off of the bus, we saw the protected sea turtles out by the street next to the entrance. Five big sea turtles rehabbing in their tank for all to see and enjoy. First stop is the mini tanks and then the giant tank, which has so many different fishes and we even got to see the diver feeding some by hand. The students were mesmerized by lots of the fish and were even able to apply their knowledge to discuss and identify the types, Just outside were three harbor seals that always look so happy as they swim back and forth. The museum portion is next and is loaded with lots of really cool models and descriptions of the animals, flora and fauna, people, history, and culture. The next two sections are everyone’s favorites; Madagascar has several lemurs that sit very close to you and seem to enjoy people’s presence. Walking out of there took by the Galapagos Tortoises and us right into a Tamarin Monkeys. The tamarins just sit in the trees and like the lemurs seem to enjoy the attention. Navigating the path, a juvenile night heron saw it fit to sit on a student’s shoulder and peck at his head. After he jumped down, he then began to work to make Beth’s hair his new nest and poked at her eye. Unhurt and ready to move on, the staff were feeding the parrots and it was time to head over to Mr. Alligator and friends. A few students had a nice snack and enjoyed some light shopping, while a couple others walked up the street to get a drink and watch the current fly under the bridge. The bus arrived and we headed back to BIOS for Beef tips and whipped potatoes with salad complemented with a piece of decadent chocolate cake. Wind picking up even more and forecast to continue until mid day tomorrow with some rain squalls as Phillipe passes by to the west. For tomorrow, we will have a small coral lecture on campus and some weather dependent on campus fun.
