Second dive was bit different in that we were dropped off at the northern most point of the island - a small pinnacle cluster sticking out of the water maybe some 3-5 meters feet and drifted back towards the larger of the first two peaks. This dive had more fish life - Wrasses, Snappers, Sargent Majors, a greater array of mollusks including a Giant Panamic Cockle, several huge Pen Shells, arrays of Gorgonians, Hydro corals, Panamic Brittle Stars, and some very large Sea Urchins.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Dive at Isla San Jorge (commonly known as Bird Island) was an interesting experience. First of all the trip out was bereft with choppy seas (4-7 swells and chop water) which made for a very "hard ride" intestinally and stomach-wise for several of the students. Once we arrived tho, it went fairly well. Upon entering the water on the lea-ward side of the island we were greeted by sea lions a plenty, though not as many as last year... could be where we were located. During the dive there was an abundance of sea-life. Of particular interest was the large number of Murex, hydro-corals, large clusters mollusks and various colorful nudibranchs. Among the nudibranchs we found several Sedna (Glossodoris sedna) and Speckled flatworm. These are particularly beautiful creatures - in some ways not unlike a butterfly.
Another great experience abroad!
Once again, we had a fantastic experience in Mexico and at CEDO (Center for the study of Deserts and Oceans) and a large part of that was due to the great intern at CEDO, Abraham (see below). We are all home safe and sound now. We will miss Mexico but will never forget it!
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Last day!
We started off the lovely day today with kayaking in the Estuary ! Alex and I set up and off on our voyage we went. Luckily she had been kayaking previous times before and was extremely helpful as it was my first time. As we passed along the Estuary we saw oyster traps closer to the shore and many crabs along the bottom passing left and right. We stopped and had a small lecture on mudflats that were exposed by the low tide. We learned about about the fresh water meeting salt water and the lack of fresh water that is in the Estuary today. The Estuary is home to many animals, it also provides a breeding area, and food.
The day was ended with a camp fire full of s'mores at CEDO. Abraham one of the intern instructors told us stories of ghost the people in the past had seen at CEDO! It was a bitter sweet way to end the last night here. Soon after we were off to bed and early this morning we woke to Dr. B making french toast yum! I'm going to miss seeing and hearing the ocean near by and the fun adventures we had. Good bye Mexico, Puerto Penasco, CEDO, and Abraham America here we come! (:
The day was ended with a camp fire full of s'mores at CEDO. Abraham one of the intern instructors told us stories of ghost the people in the past had seen at CEDO! It was a bitter sweet way to end the last night here. Soon after we were off to bed and early this morning we woke to Dr. B making french toast yum! I'm going to miss seeing and hearing the ocean near by and the fun adventures we had. Good bye Mexico, Puerto Penasco, CEDO, and Abraham America here we come! (:
Goodbye Rocky Point!
Even though I am excited to head back to America and sleep
in my own bed instead of the floor, and see all of the friends I know so well;
I am sad to leave this new little family that I’ve found. This past week has
been so exciting and jam packed with activities. I learned so much from the
people at CEDO about the importance of conserving our planets aquatic life and
habitat.
Humans don’t realize how big of an impact small changes to
the ocean can have on the future of our planet most likely because there is too
much to grasp, and not enough people actually take the time to learn about it.
With the rate our population is growing we really need to focus on
sustainability before Wall-e becomes our destiny rather than a cute little
cartoon.
Things the average person knows very little about are in
harms way due to our naïve outlook on the world. Staying here has really opened
my eyes to the arrogance and selfishness of the human race and what I would
like to take with me from this experience, is to try and make people more
aware. Everything has to happen one step at a time, and anyone can make a
difference. I don’t want to be just another uninformed trash dispenser just
trying to get ahead. I’d like to be the informer.
Peace. Love. & Sustainability!
Monday, May 20, 2013
The last hurawwww
Today was the last day for the exciting trip to Puerto Penasco. We went to the estuary to kayak down it and see all the species that live there and realize why estuary's are so very important, not just for
the animals that live there, but for humans as well. first thing we learned was what an estuary is, an estuary is a semi enclosed body of water where freshwater from rivers meets and mixes with salt water from the ocean.
Thousands of species of birds, mammals, fish, and many others depend on estuaries for a places to feed, reproduce, and live. Humans also have use of the estuaries by the clams that are there. Locals will put oyster boxes all over the estuary and sell the oysters for a business. I never really thought about how important an estuary was until we went out today and kayaked through it.
the animals that live there, but for humans as well. first thing we learned was what an estuary is, an estuary is a semi enclosed body of water where freshwater from rivers meets and mixes with salt water from the ocean.
Thousands of species of birds, mammals, fish, and many others depend on estuaries for a places to feed, reproduce, and live. Humans also have use of the estuaries by the clams that are there. Locals will put oyster boxes all over the estuary and sell the oysters for a business. I never really thought about how important an estuary was until we went out today and kayaked through it.
Kayaking!
Today I got up early to remake the group project presentation we lost yesterday, and I'm glad I did because I finally got to head down and drink my coffee on the beach while the tide was out. It started off a good morning :) The estuary was such a beautiful place! Paddling across the calm rippling water was so relaxing, and when we got out of the boats I couldn't believe how soft the sand was beneath my toes. There were tiny little fiddler crabs every where, all kinds of birds, we even got close to a great blue heron. But then things started to turn a bit, wasn't so relaxing when we had to make our way back against the current, that was a struggle. And then when we got back to the little restaurant at the estuary I started to get a bit of a stomach ache. Lost my breakfast...and then my lunch...no dinner for me. And now I can't even go make s'mores with all my new friends on the last night of our stay her at CEDO. I wish the rest of the day would have gone as smoothly as my morning :/
Last Day at CEDO
Today is our last day at CEDO. To sat rt off the day we went kayaking at one of the local estuaries in Puerto Penasco. It was amazing to see all of the life estuaries support. From bird, to fish, to crabs, to shrimp. And tons of plant life as well. In this estuaries they also have an oyster farm. They have this floating platforms that are tied not to far off shore. The families that harvest the oysters buy oysters as spat, which is when the oyster is at this stage in its life that it will be sessile. The oysters they buy are called Japanese oysters (but they are from Mexico). They use this oyster because it is bigger and grows faster then the local oysters they have here, and this oyster does not harm the local species. But because of the tides and temperature of the water they cannot reproduce on there own. So these families buy mass quantities of oysters and put them on the floating platforms and let them grow for about an year. Then they harvest the oysters again and sale them. Part of the money they get goes towards the government and the other goes towards their family.
When families first started to harvest oysters in the area there was a lot of family members helping, but as the fresh water stopped coming into the estuary and the local oysters were more difficult to harvest families left. But when they started using Japanese oysters more family members started to come to the estuary to help harvest oysters. Kayaking though the estuary was more then a workout, it opened my eyes to how important estuaries are and how important sea life is for the surrounding community.
When families first started to harvest oysters in the area there was a lot of family members helping, but as the fresh water stopped coming into the estuary and the local oysters were more difficult to harvest families left. But when they started using Japanese oysters more family members started to come to the estuary to help harvest oysters. Kayaking though the estuary was more then a workout, it opened my eyes to how important estuaries are and how important sea life is for the surrounding community.
Morua Estuary 5/20/13
Today we went to the Morua Estuary. We had talked about the place the entire trip and actually having the chance to see it live in the flesh was pretty extraordinary. This is where freshwater and seawater mix creating an oceanic river of sorts. It ends up creating a perfect place for fish nurseries, nutrient and detritus rich soil, and a great day for kayaking.
We kayaked across the estuary and all of us did pretty well! I already had experience so I was maneuvering like a pro. Of course, you wouldn't expect anything less from me. Just kidding. Not really. Along the way, we saw the many birds that fed among the marine life that lived in this estuary, as well as the oyster farms that were lined up throughout the coast of the entire body of water.
After exploring the edible pickleweed patches, we made our way back to eat at the local oyster farm restaurant. As a personal choice for me, I did not eat the oysters. They were prepared raw and that is just not my thing. Nothing against the culture, I just did not want to do it. However, I did have a manta ray taco which was still kind of weird seeing how it was my first time eating sting ray. It had a similar taste to shredded chicken with a strong hint of typical seafood flavor. It wasn't bad, but I wouldn't seek it out.
It was definitely a great way to end our adventure here in Puerto Penasco. It is bittersweet because I truly had a great time, but I would also love to sleep in my own bed and experience American culture once again.
We kayaked across the estuary and all of us did pretty well! I already had experience so I was maneuvering like a pro. Of course, you wouldn't expect anything less from me. Just kidding. Not really. Along the way, we saw the many birds that fed among the marine life that lived in this estuary, as well as the oyster farms that were lined up throughout the coast of the entire body of water.
After exploring the edible pickleweed patches, we made our way back to eat at the local oyster farm restaurant. As a personal choice for me, I did not eat the oysters. They were prepared raw and that is just not my thing. Nothing against the culture, I just did not want to do it. However, I did have a manta ray taco which was still kind of weird seeing how it was my first time eating sting ray. It had a similar taste to shredded chicken with a strong hint of typical seafood flavor. It wasn't bad, but I wouldn't seek it out.
It was definitely a great way to end our adventure here in Puerto Penasco. It is bittersweet because I truly had a great time, but I would also love to sleep in my own bed and experience American culture once again.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Trona Salt Mines
To start off our morning we went to the Trona Salt Mines and learned about the Papago-Tohono O' odham indigenous people. We learned about the the past traditions they carried out, one I found to be very interesting. Around the age of 13/14 a boy would go through the process of becoming a man. A group of ten boys would journey across the desert to reach the the ocean. They would be lead by a man who had done the trail previous times before. Over the period of time they traveled across the desert they would walk in a line with out talking to one another. The only thing they would bring to eat would be corn and water. At the end of the their journey they would run around in circles until they became delusional in this process they would see visions of their destiny. Before heading back the Papago men would collect an item from the ocean in order to prove their long trek and tradition.
The Trona Salt Mines were not in actual mines I learned. They actual form under the ground and slowly crystallize and form to make large hard Trona Salt looking rocks. The Trona is used to make glass items and medicines. It was to my surprise not used to make salt. The bacteria and minerals in it are strong which would result in making us sick. Looking out at the Trona Salt Mines the only way I could describe the way it looked was frozen ice with pink spotting on it. I learned an immense amount of history about the Papago-Tohono O' odham as well as the Trona Salt Mines. So much to learn in such a short amount of time! Looking forward to Kayaking tomorrow(:
The Trona Salt Mines were not in actual mines I learned. They actual form under the ground and slowly crystallize and form to make large hard Trona Salt looking rocks. The Trona is used to make glass items and medicines. It was to my surprise not used to make salt. The bacteria and minerals in it are strong which would result in making us sick. Looking out at the Trona Salt Mines the only way I could describe the way it looked was frozen ice with pink spotting on it. I learned an immense amount of history about the Papago-Tohono O' odham as well as the Trona Salt Mines. So much to learn in such a short amount of time! Looking forward to Kayaking tomorrow(:
Salt and Super Powers
Today we went to the Trona Salt Mines. First big discovery,
it is not underground. It is more of a flat area with the salt deposits under
the ground. Miners dig up these big salt deposits, trona, with very little
machinery because the land is protected. The way our guide was describing it
the miners used their own vehicles hoods. The place a rope around the trona and
tie that to the front of their car and pull it out. The salt mined there isn’t
edible, but it used in calcium carbonate medicines and glass. While we were
there we saw a coyote wandering about, he was headed toward a watering hole and
a birds nest.
Although the mines were interesting, I think the most
interesting part of the day was the drive over. Abraham, our amazing CEDO
intern came with us. He answered a lot of questions about the living conditions
in Mexico. He once worked at the local store that was bought by Wal-Mart. He
mentioned how he enjoyed his coworkers and his managers, but the pay was low.
Every fifteen days he received 1400 pesos. It is roughly 300 American dollars a
month. We also asked about where the locals live because we have only seen
vacation rentals. He said that they live towards the edges of town. The
families usually make their own houses which cause them to be smaller and put
together with variety of materials.
It was hard seeing the differences of the children as well.
Most of the kids I have seen have been working in their families shops selling
tourists souvenirs. The parents will have the kids go into a restaurant with a
variety of bracelets and necklaces and sell them to the guests eating their
dinner. There are also kids begging for money for food because they are hungry.
It is hard to tell which children are hungry and which children are being
taught to be scam artists. It is really hard knowing the opportunities that I
have and knowing that a lot of these kids will not even have the thought of
them.
On a completely different note, this evening was
interesting. In Mexico the street vendors will haggle with you. It is a new
skill that I have gaining a better knowledge of it. I learned when the original
price is 30 you start down at 15. They won’t give it to you for that price, but
it allows for more leeway. Tonight I
brought up a whole new technique. I had shopped this place last night and received
a pretty decent deal then. So this evening the shop worker didn’t want to haggle
too much. I was able to knock off seven dollars of my total by offering the man
a hug. Apparently my hugs are pretty awesome if they are worth seven dollars. Because
of this I have deemed my hugs a new super power of mine and shall only be used
in time of desperate need. Although now all of my shopping is done I will have
to retire my super power.
The past few days in Puerto Penasco, Mexico have been quite an adventure, and exhausting at the same time. But Friday was the most fun and interesting day of all. On Friday we took a very bumpy boat ride to Bird Island to go scuba diving. Some people got very sea sick which made the rest of the trip miserable from them. I felt terrible. One of them worked very hard to be scuba certified, but was unable to go scuba diving with us because of her sea sickness. But once we got to Bird Island it was beautiful. Mainly the sea loins and marine life were beautiful; the island itself, especially the smell I could have done with out. Once we got into the water there was so many fish and sea life I was overwhelmed with excitement. The sea lions would swim right up to you, there was at least six or seven different species of star fish (some as big as my head), tons of sea cucumbers, and the deadly scorpion fish. I had such a blast. I love scuba diving and defiantly want to explore more of the underwater world.
The next day was a perfect day to relax in the class room and listen to lectures all day, which is what we did. It might not have had the excitement Friday had but I learned a lot about marine life, marine mammals, invertebrates, marine ecology, and estuaries. I'm excited for the rest of my week at CEDO.
The next day was a perfect day to relax in the class room and listen to lectures all day, which is what we did. It might not have had the excitement Friday had but I learned a lot about marine life, marine mammals, invertebrates, marine ecology, and estuaries. I'm excited for the rest of my week at CEDO.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Although CEDO was nothing what I expected it has grown on me; surprisingly. When I first came to CEDO I was pretty upset with the living situation. I had prepared myself to stay somewhere that was relatively modernized/Americanised, but I was shocked at what I would be living at for the next week. 5 minute showers, no toilet paper in the toilets, no real ac, and sand everywhere you don't want it to be. I did not have time to mentally prepare myself for this situation. After my initial shock and frustration had settled down I realized that it's not as bad as I had worked it up to be. CEDO does a lot of awesome activities that I have learned so much from; such as water conservations and the effects of human activity on marine life and habitat. And Abraham (our CEDO instructor) has been amazing in teaching our group all of the opportunities CEDO has to offer in way in preserving the environment. Living at CEDO has not been easy or anything that I expected, but after giving it a chance and learning all the neat things CEDO has to offer I defiantly wouldn't mind coming back to volunteer or visit again.
Brittle Star
Choya Bay mud flats
As we walked further out the living things became easier to find, and they began to increase in size. We started to find bigger shells such as scallops the fishermen had left behind, along with oysters and mussels. As we found bigger puddles blue crabs were running around and not too happy to be picked up.
When we got to the channel that emptied into the sea we started to find sooooo many cool species! Sand dollars, and mirex shells, pigmy octopi...we found 2 of them! much bigger hermit crabs, a blue crab that had just molted and was still soft, and a bunch of decent sized really pretty shells to take home with us :)
unfortunately my shoulders are all toasty and pink from keeping my eyes glued to the ground
The Big Shock
Arriving to CEDO here in Puerto Penasco was not at all what I or anyone else expected it to be for that matter. I had a picture in my head that it was going to be a this amazing hotel with an extravagant view. Well there is definitely an extravagant view, but the life style here is very different and wow what a culture shock! Few places have A.C. and all the toilets here are only to be flushed when you go number 2 and you can never put toilet paper in the toilet. We also sleep on mats on the floor. We have now been here for 4 days and have come to adjust to this different life style. It really is not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I thought this week was going to be very difficult and a struggle to cope with. It is a beautiful place and the locals here are amazing and very happy to help you out at anytime.
To Bird Island we Go!
Two words, SEA SICK! I have come to learn that I get extremely sea sick on a boat. As we ventured out to Bird Island, we could see the sun rising in the horizon, the day was beautiful. Soon after being on the boat we worked together to helped each other put together our diving gear. After that my stomach slowly took a turn for the worst. For the remainder of the trip I spent my time in the back of the boat or on the side. Everyone was very helpful in comforting me, checking on me, and giving me fluids to drink. Once we finally arrived at Bird Island I felt some what better and with the help of my scuba buddies I geared up and met everyone in the water.
As we descended and swam away from the boat I could see the sea lions circling us with curiosity. They darted left and right passing us with ease. It was amazing to see all of the plants and fish down at the bottom! Not to long into the dive I started to feel dehydrated and informed Glen. With his help he brought me closer to the boat and I swam to the ladder. I decided to be safe and call it, for the remainder of the time I watched the sea lions and re-hydrated my body. I napped all the way back to land feeling much better I couldn't have been more thankful to be on land again! The adventure was great aside from my sea sickness and I would do it again, it will not hinder me from scuba diving! It's one of the best experiences I've had by far(:
As we descended and swam away from the boat I could see the sea lions circling us with curiosity. They darted left and right passing us with ease. It was amazing to see all of the plants and fish down at the bottom! Not to long into the dive I started to feel dehydrated and informed Glen. With his help he brought me closer to the boat and I swam to the ladder. I decided to be safe and call it, for the remainder of the time I watched the sea lions and re-hydrated my body. I napped all the way back to land feeling much better I couldn't have been more thankful to be on land again! The adventure was great aside from my sea sickness and I would do it again, it will not hinder me from scuba diving! It's one of the best experiences I've had by far(:
Scuba Diving at Bird Island
Yesterday we took a trip out to Bird Island. It was about a
two and half hour boat ride which didn't really feel that long because I was
busy getting all of my scuba gear together. I was expecting the work out of
getting into a 7mm wetsuit to be difficult because I haven’t had much success
with it on dry land. Surprisingly enough it was pretty easy, easy as a 7mm can
be. Getting into the water went smoothly the first time. (We will get to the
second time a little later) Once down is was pretty amazing to see what lied
beneath the surface. The sea lion really weren't afraid of us. They would swim
up to you and sniff you and swim away quickly. We were able to also see
different variety of sea cucumbers, fish, sea urchins, and other various sea life.
It was the longer of the two dives lasting about thirty five to forty five minutes.
Oh the second dive, not as easy as the first. The entrance
was completely different. The big stride off of the boat was the same, but in
the first dive you come back to the surface and signal to the boat that you are
ok. This dive we took the big step off and kept descending towards the ocean
floor. When I took my step off, everything seemed ok at first. I was equalizing
my ears (getting them associated to the new pressure) and I signal that I was
ok to my other dive buddies. Of course after I signal I am ok, I realize that I
am not. I tried to pop my ears to get them to equalize and my left ear wouldn't pop. I tried slightly harder and then stopped realizing that any more pressure
and it were likely it would rupture my ear drum. I tried to inform my scuba
buddies, but because I had already signaled I was ok, they starting to swim
farther down. With the pressure on my ear starting to cause pain I panicked. I
knew that I had to get higher up, but when I got to the surface I didn't know
if the boat would still be there (they were going to pick us up in a different
spot). So I quickly swam to the surface and the pressure was off of my ears.
Looking around I could see the boat in the distance, luckily they were still
looking for divers that had resurfaced. The next challenge presented itself; I
was at the surface by myself. My two options were 1. Go back down and attempt
to find my scuba buddies or 2. Wait for the boat to pick me up. When I saw the
boat I figured my dive time was over and there was no way in the high heavens
was I going back down to look for my buddies. For all I know they swam to a
completely different spot. Luckily Super Glenn came to the rescue….he isn't an
actual super hero, but he qualified as one yesterday. He noticed that I was
missing and came to find me.
Once the situation was explained to him, he asked if I want
to try again. It really surprised me because at that point I assumed I was done
for the day. I said yes, wanting to see what else was down there. We descended
slower which I think helped my ears. I was able to equalize perfectly. Once
down there we didn't see as many sea lions, but I was able to see greater variety
of sea life. The one thing that really stood out was the starfish. Some of them
were huge, being bigger than my hand. We also saw much bigger sea urchins than
the first dive. As I swam around, I could see the smaller creatures crawl into
their hiding spots and larger creatures swim away. We were diving roughly
thirty minutes.
I can’t really say which dive I like more. I think I like
each of them for different reasons. I really enjoyed the day and managed not to
get too red from the sun. The only spot was small and it was at the top of my
back. I do hope that my underwater pictures do turn out, but I will have to wait
until I am home to get them developed.
Rocky Inter-tidal and Scuba Trip
So let's talk about the rocky inter-tidal area we went to on Thursday. It was way different than the mud flats that we had gone to the day before. I mean, obviously there were more rocks (hence the "rocky" part of the name) but the wildlife there was much different as well. In the mud flats there were a bunch of snails and not a lot of hermit crabs, but in the rocks that make up this area, there was a complete reversal. There were not only a very limited number of snails, but the hermit crab population was infinitely bigger. They were everywhere.
But that wasn't the only thing that was different. Because the mud flats were made of soft sediments, they would change every once in a while when the tide goes in, which would mean that where there was a tide pool today could be different than where there was a tide pool yesterday or the day before. But the rocky area on Thursday was much different. The animals here could hide in the same spot they were in the day before if they were lucky enough to find it again. This area doesn't change very quickly, so the tide pools here were more colorful and had a bunch of different organisms living in them. And I thought that it was very interesting to see this drastic change between the two areas.
As for interesting things in this area: we learned that the crabs here are very temperamental, and don't like to be handled, fish can always find a place to hide in the water, amazing looking shells that you go to pick up are actually the bodies of crabs which can easily outsmart you (one minute it was there, the next it was gone and I have no clue where it went), and the algae that grows on the rocks can be very slippery.
But that was not the only thing that we did on Thursday. We also helped with a census of the local Osprey populations. We checked the nests for offspring, and although we didn't see any some of the adults watched us very carefully, and the adults in the area. For every giant pole that had a nest on the top of it, we painted a number on the pole big enough that you could see it from the road. I thought this was an amazing experience, and I could have done this for several more hours.
When I first signed up for this trip, I thought that it would be a neat adventure but seeing as this is a 'marine biology' class experience, it wouldn't have a lot of relevance or impact on my future. I'm not a huge fan of fish and I thought that that was all we would be doing. I was hoping that I would be able to use at least one trick I learned at CEDO in the future but I wasn't sure I could tweak something made for marine life for wildlife on land. But doing this census on the osprey made me realize that I am exactly on track for what I want to do in the future. And if given a chance, I would happily help with something like this again!
Now yesterday, Friday in this case, we went out on our scuba trip. On Thursday we went to this scuba shop and met the owner of the boat we were going to Bird Island with, and figured out what scuba equipment we needed and in what sizes. So on Friday we wake up an hour earlier than usual because we have to meet the boat at 6:30 am. After getting lost and turned around we make it to the boat, on time actually, and we grab our stuff and get on the boat.
I thought it was going okay for a while, but I started to get seasick and I didn't feel like participating the rest of the trip. But from what I saw and heard, between naps, was amazing. The island that we went to is called bird island.
Now the history of Bird Island is that it was used by the US Armed Forces as a post during WWII as a protective measure to make sure that the Japanese couldn't use the Sea of Cortez as a way to invade mainland America. I thought that that was pretty cool and if you look close enough at the island, you can still see where some of the well worn areas of the island are.
However, it is illegal to set foot on the island. This is because rats were brought to this island by boat, and killed off the bird population. So people had to come in and kill off the rats, but the bird population soon boomed again. As is expected with an island named after the animals that call this home. And they do call it home. The island, which is only about a mile long, is almost completely white. Only the rocks near the very edge of the shore are their natural color of dark grey and black. This is because hundreds, possibly thousands, of birds nest and fish from here. This is their home. And it is covered in guano. But birds are not the only animal that live on this island.
Sea lions are here as well and they decided to come and join us when everybody went diving or snorkeling. Sea lions are very curious and playful by nature, and they showed off that side of themselves very well. The moment the boat pulled up, the noise doubled. Birds started circling and crying out, and the Sea lions got very excited and started barking and communicating with each other. It was almost deafening at first, but everything started to calm down a couple minutes later.
I have seen Sea lions in the past, but these guys were much bigger. It was cool to see them in their natural environment, and almost all of them went into the water. There was a definite difference in the sizes between the females and males. the females were a lot smaller and more agile in the water, while the males were larger and mostly stayed on land watching the boat and barking.
After two different dives, we had lunch and then headed back to CEDO. Everyone went out for pizza and I don't think that anybody had a problem sleeping.
I can't wait to see what we are doing next!
But that wasn't the only thing that was different. Because the mud flats were made of soft sediments, they would change every once in a while when the tide goes in, which would mean that where there was a tide pool today could be different than where there was a tide pool yesterday or the day before. But the rocky area on Thursday was much different. The animals here could hide in the same spot they were in the day before if they were lucky enough to find it again. This area doesn't change very quickly, so the tide pools here were more colorful and had a bunch of different organisms living in them. And I thought that it was very interesting to see this drastic change between the two areas.
As for interesting things in this area: we learned that the crabs here are very temperamental, and don't like to be handled, fish can always find a place to hide in the water, amazing looking shells that you go to pick up are actually the bodies of crabs which can easily outsmart you (one minute it was there, the next it was gone and I have no clue where it went), and the algae that grows on the rocks can be very slippery.
But that was not the only thing that we did on Thursday. We also helped with a census of the local Osprey populations. We checked the nests for offspring, and although we didn't see any some of the adults watched us very carefully, and the adults in the area. For every giant pole that had a nest on the top of it, we painted a number on the pole big enough that you could see it from the road. I thought this was an amazing experience, and I could have done this for several more hours.
When I first signed up for this trip, I thought that it would be a neat adventure but seeing as this is a 'marine biology' class experience, it wouldn't have a lot of relevance or impact on my future. I'm not a huge fan of fish and I thought that that was all we would be doing. I was hoping that I would be able to use at least one trick I learned at CEDO in the future but I wasn't sure I could tweak something made for marine life for wildlife on land. But doing this census on the osprey made me realize that I am exactly on track for what I want to do in the future. And if given a chance, I would happily help with something like this again!
Now yesterday, Friday in this case, we went out on our scuba trip. On Thursday we went to this scuba shop and met the owner of the boat we were going to Bird Island with, and figured out what scuba equipment we needed and in what sizes. So on Friday we wake up an hour earlier than usual because we have to meet the boat at 6:30 am. After getting lost and turned around we make it to the boat, on time actually, and we grab our stuff and get on the boat.
I thought it was going okay for a while, but I started to get seasick and I didn't feel like participating the rest of the trip. But from what I saw and heard, between naps, was amazing. The island that we went to is called bird island.
Now the history of Bird Island is that it was used by the US Armed Forces as a post during WWII as a protective measure to make sure that the Japanese couldn't use the Sea of Cortez as a way to invade mainland America. I thought that that was pretty cool and if you look close enough at the island, you can still see where some of the well worn areas of the island are.
However, it is illegal to set foot on the island. This is because rats were brought to this island by boat, and killed off the bird population. So people had to come in and kill off the rats, but the bird population soon boomed again. As is expected with an island named after the animals that call this home. And they do call it home. The island, which is only about a mile long, is almost completely white. Only the rocks near the very edge of the shore are their natural color of dark grey and black. This is because hundreds, possibly thousands, of birds nest and fish from here. This is their home. And it is covered in guano. But birds are not the only animal that live on this island.
Sea lions are here as well and they decided to come and join us when everybody went diving or snorkeling. Sea lions are very curious and playful by nature, and they showed off that side of themselves very well. The moment the boat pulled up, the noise doubled. Birds started circling and crying out, and the Sea lions got very excited and started barking and communicating with each other. It was almost deafening at first, but everything started to calm down a couple minutes later.
I have seen Sea lions in the past, but these guys were much bigger. It was cool to see them in their natural environment, and almost all of them went into the water. There was a definite difference in the sizes between the females and males. the females were a lot smaller and more agile in the water, while the males were larger and mostly stayed on land watching the boat and barking.
After two different dives, we had lunch and then headed back to CEDO. Everyone went out for pizza and I don't think that anybody had a problem sleeping.
I can't wait to see what we are doing next!
Friday, May 17, 2013
Bird Island 5/17/13
After waking up at 5:00 in the morning, I wasn't sure I was ready for the day ahead of me. As soon as we got to the harbor, this feeling vanished and excitement took over. I had put in many hours of training for this dive and finally the moment was here.
Still, a three hour boat ride was still in the way. Luckily, Dave and his crew were some of the nicest people in town which definitely eased the pain of the sea. This unfortunately didn't stop sea sickness from invading certain people on the boat. I didn't get sick, but truly felt like I could have puked gallons into the Sea of Cortez. Thank god I did not!
Finally, we arrived to our destination and we were greeting with the stench of thousands of birds pooping everywhere. Basically, it smelled great! The island looked white, but this was not snow, as Dave himself warned us. Remember that bird poop is usually white so we did not set foot on the island. Not that we were allowed to because this was a preserve for animals only. No humans allowed. And I though discrimination ended in the sixties.
Finally, the dive began and the sea life beneath the ocean surface was absolutely incredible. The algae and coral sparkled and glowed, while various species of fish, sea stars, and more roamed the open water with a curious eye on us at all times. Of course, I can't forget the sea lions. These things are more playful then your freshly born puppy. Their agility and speed is truly a sight to see underwater.
Basically, this was an experience I will never forget and I am incredibly glad I went through with it. Here's to hopefully more dives in the future. For now, exhaustion has taken over and I need rest ASAP!
Still, a three hour boat ride was still in the way. Luckily, Dave and his crew were some of the nicest people in town which definitely eased the pain of the sea. This unfortunately didn't stop sea sickness from invading certain people on the boat. I didn't get sick, but truly felt like I could have puked gallons into the Sea of Cortez. Thank god I did not!
Finally, we arrived to our destination and we were greeting with the stench of thousands of birds pooping everywhere. Basically, it smelled great! The island looked white, but this was not snow, as Dave himself warned us. Remember that bird poop is usually white so we did not set foot on the island. Not that we were allowed to because this was a preserve for animals only. No humans allowed. And I though discrimination ended in the sixties.
Finally, the dive began and the sea life beneath the ocean surface was absolutely incredible. The algae and coral sparkled and glowed, while various species of fish, sea stars, and more roamed the open water with a curious eye on us at all times. Of course, I can't forget the sea lions. These things are more playful then your freshly born puppy. Their agility and speed is truly a sight to see underwater.
Basically, this was an experience I will never forget and I am incredibly glad I went through with it. Here's to hopefully more dives in the future. For now, exhaustion has taken over and I need rest ASAP!
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Osprey census
Today we also took part in a census of the osprey nesting near CEDO. This is the beginning of a longterm research project here and we were happy to lend a hand (and eyes!).
Tomorrow it is off to Isla San Jorge to snorkel and dive before helping with a sea lion census!
Tonight it is off to bed early since we have to be at the marina by 6 am!
Lumpy Armed Crab
A lumpy armed crab we found on the rocky intertidal. He was not too happy. Lucky for him, we let him out instead of cooking him into a delicious dinner. What a shame!
Cholla Bay the Soft Sediment Intertidal
Before I got here, I thought intertidal zones were only the rocky kind. Yesterday I learned that is not the case. The
soft sediment was like mud squishy underneath my feet (thank goodness for scuba
booties!)Because the sediment is so soft the bi-valves are able anchor
themselves down into it, staying moist while everything at the surface begins
to dry. Fiddler crabs also dig into the sediment to create a little home while
the water is gone. They borrow a little hole for themselves pushing out the mud
in the shape of little balls. It was interesting to see how some of the fiddler
crab holes only had a few balls by it while others looked like the crab had
been working all day. The octopus stays hidden from the elements by squishing
down and hiding into any little place it can find. We found two different ones
hidden inside of Black Murex shells. The second one was squished down so far we didn't even realize it was there when we first picked it up. The little limpets
use a strong muscle to grasp tightly onto the surface of something (rock, a
clam, etc.) It creates super glue like seal hold in a little bit of water
between them and their shell. This allows them to stay alive while the tide is
out.
Overall I
think my favorite critter we saw that day was the octopus. When we were
handling it, it moved very quickly trying to compress itself into anything. It
tried the bottom of the bucket, but we were still able to find him. On land
they are wobbly walkers using their tentacles to pull themselves towards the
water, but once in the water they are able to swim quickly to find a new hiding
spot.
The Rocky Intertidal 5/16/13
The group ventured out to the harsh environment of the rocky intertidal zone today in Puerto Penasco. We had been prepared with a few fun facts about what were going to see due to the always informative words of Dr. Cheroske and his partner in crime Dr. Bennet. All of us expected to see an abundance of sea life which included crabs, snails, sea stars, and more. However, I did not realize the amount of work that we would need to put in to find these organisms.
We pulled up to the beach while the tide was still a bit low. Still, the only forms of life that could be seen right away were snails and plant life such as kelp and algae. Everything else was hiding in the myriad amounts of crevices that were abundant among these rocky shores. So, we put on our boots and started to get a little dirty.
The key was to lift up the rocks to find more life that was living underneath these giant boulders. It was hard to find anything at first. As we started to move farther out from the shore, the creatures began to get a little bit more interesting. We had many encounters with the lumpy armed crabs, who really did not want to be picked up at all. These things really did put up a good fight, but ultimately we snatched them up to get a good look at them. This is also included the many different echinoderms that were prowling the rocky intertidal. Brittle stars were easy to spot once you know where you were looking, but sea urchins were much harder to find. In fact, we only spotted one throughout our entire time out there.
Overall, it was a pretty cool experience. Finding sea life was much easier in the soft sediment wetlands we explored the day before due to the fact that there was not as many places to hide. Still, it was very interesting to see the difference between the two environments. Tonight, we are going back out into the field to help CEDO with their ongoing Osprey census. It should be interesting. Until then, nap time is our next project.
2nd Night
Several of us slept out on the deck and the view of the heavens down here (in Mexico) with the absence of the city lights to "drown out" everything, was spectacular! I posted some pics on my Facebook page (go to Glenn M Bennett.... you should be able to see them. Look for Marina Bio Class Pics at Rocky Point (PUerto Penasco). You will find a 50 second video of a Pygmy Octopus that we found in a Black Murex shell here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=4825085467286.
You will notice that it doesn't do to well out of water...BTW the high pitched scream at the beginning is not the octopus...it is the ladies standing around watching it. You will see my finger gently rubbing the top of the mantel and notice that the octopus calms down (or seems to)... this gives you an idea of just how small these beautiful creatures are.
It is amazing to watch the tide come in a Cholla Bay as we stood out on the mud flats we could see the water rise around our feet. The variety of marine organisms that can exist in such extreme conditions is truly astounding!
Day Three of the Fun in Mexico
I did not get a chance to post yesterday, but I'm going to try to do two posts today. So let's get started!
Yesterday I woke up before anyone else around 5:30 in the morning. We were told we had to be up by 8 and that we would be leaving around 9. So I was awake very early. Because I had slept outside on the patio the night before, I had my sleeping bag, Cocoon blanket, and sleeping pad outside with me. So I decided to carefully put my stuff in the connecting room that connects the room the girls were using, to the one the guys were using. But I had to do this carefully, because although the doors were closed, the sound travels very well and I didn't want to wake anyone up.
So after successfully accomplishing that task, I wanted some food. So I went downstairs and into the kitchen for breakfast. After searching through every cabinet I could find, I found a bowl. But I couldn't find any spoons for cereal. So I had started to give up when I realized that the islands in the middle of the room had labeled drawers as well. And I found spoons. So I ate some cereal and I started talking to this lady named Emily. She is from Sussex and has an accent that has somewhat become Americanized. She is a horticulturist and is doing some research on desert plants. We started talking about other places she has gone to which included Kenya in Africa. That really got my attention, but by that point, she had already finished making her breakfast and left.
After everyone woke up, several hours later, and had somehow managed to eat and get ready for the day ahead of us, we headed out to the mud flats at Choya Bay (That's how it's spelled despite the fact that they have a street sign that is Cholla Drive). I was interested in knowing what we would be seeing out there during low tide.
Now because the bay is so long and shallow, when the water recedes, it REALLY recedes. So we get out of the car, take a picture or two, and put on our scuba boots (we needed them because the rocks we would be climbing over can have barnacles which could cut up our feet. Well... that and the countless shells we walked on.) When we got there I was stunned.
When we had first started walking out on the mud flats I wasn't really paying much attention to the ground as much as the creatures we found along the way. But one of the times that we stopped to look at a crab, I glanced at the ground to see if there might be another crab around when I finally saw it. I had noticed the countless little spiral shells when we first started out, they were no more than an inch apart from each other and littered the ground. But what I saw now was different. Behind every shell was a line. A line in the sand. They were moving. And it wasn't just that they had moved before the tide went out, the water would have covered the tracks, but now the water was gone and the tracks were staying out in the open for all to see. And I had completely missed it. Now that I had started to notice that, I noticed that every once in a while, the shells would move a step forward. So not only were they moving, but they were still alive. And I felt guilty about the countless shells I had stepped on.
As we moved closer the the ocean and away from the shore we started finding larger animals. We found Fiddler Crabs and Blue Crabs. Then as the tide was coming back in we found one octopus, then another. They were smaller than my fist but when they got scared they would ink and try to get away, but they weren't very successful. Not because of lack of effort, but because we knew the direction it was going and quickly found it again.
After taking a solid number of pictures, we started heading back to the shore. We finally ended up back by the car and we took off our sandy shoes and put them in a bucket so we could clean them off once we got back to CEDO. We headed off and once we got back to CEDO we had an hour and a half free before our lecture would begin.
Our lecture was brought to us by Abraham who works at CEDO and who we met yesterday. He talked about the natural history of CEDO and some of the marine life that lives in the area. After his lecture we had a lecture on tides provided by Dr. C. Then we went out to dinner at Mary's. After Mary's we came back and went to go scorpion hunting, but the black light gave me a headache so I went back and started making my bed. A few good laughs later, with a smile on my face from talking to my mom, I curled up and watched the ocean before falling asleep.
And now it's Thursday and we are going to head out for our next adventure at 9. i can't wait to see what's next.
Yesterday I woke up before anyone else around 5:30 in the morning. We were told we had to be up by 8 and that we would be leaving around 9. So I was awake very early. Because I had slept outside on the patio the night before, I had my sleeping bag, Cocoon blanket, and sleeping pad outside with me. So I decided to carefully put my stuff in the connecting room that connects the room the girls were using, to the one the guys were using. But I had to do this carefully, because although the doors were closed, the sound travels very well and I didn't want to wake anyone up.
So after successfully accomplishing that task, I wanted some food. So I went downstairs and into the kitchen for breakfast. After searching through every cabinet I could find, I found a bowl. But I couldn't find any spoons for cereal. So I had started to give up when I realized that the islands in the middle of the room had labeled drawers as well. And I found spoons. So I ate some cereal and I started talking to this lady named Emily. She is from Sussex and has an accent that has somewhat become Americanized. She is a horticulturist and is doing some research on desert plants. We started talking about other places she has gone to which included Kenya in Africa. That really got my attention, but by that point, she had already finished making her breakfast and left.
After everyone woke up, several hours later, and had somehow managed to eat and get ready for the day ahead of us, we headed out to the mud flats at Choya Bay (That's how it's spelled despite the fact that they have a street sign that is Cholla Drive). I was interested in knowing what we would be seeing out there during low tide.
Now because the bay is so long and shallow, when the water recedes, it REALLY recedes. So we get out of the car, take a picture or two, and put on our scuba boots (we needed them because the rocks we would be climbing over can have barnacles which could cut up our feet. Well... that and the countless shells we walked on.) When we got there I was stunned.
When we had first started walking out on the mud flats I wasn't really paying much attention to the ground as much as the creatures we found along the way. But one of the times that we stopped to look at a crab, I glanced at the ground to see if there might be another crab around when I finally saw it. I had noticed the countless little spiral shells when we first started out, they were no more than an inch apart from each other and littered the ground. But what I saw now was different. Behind every shell was a line. A line in the sand. They were moving. And it wasn't just that they had moved before the tide went out, the water would have covered the tracks, but now the water was gone and the tracks were staying out in the open for all to see. And I had completely missed it. Now that I had started to notice that, I noticed that every once in a while, the shells would move a step forward. So not only were they moving, but they were still alive. And I felt guilty about the countless shells I had stepped on.
As we moved closer the the ocean and away from the shore we started finding larger animals. We found Fiddler Crabs and Blue Crabs. Then as the tide was coming back in we found one octopus, then another. They were smaller than my fist but when they got scared they would ink and try to get away, but they weren't very successful. Not because of lack of effort, but because we knew the direction it was going and quickly found it again.
After taking a solid number of pictures, we started heading back to the shore. We finally ended up back by the car and we took off our sandy shoes and put them in a bucket so we could clean them off once we got back to CEDO. We headed off and once we got back to CEDO we had an hour and a half free before our lecture would begin.
Our lecture was brought to us by Abraham who works at CEDO and who we met yesterday. He talked about the natural history of CEDO and some of the marine life that lives in the area. After his lecture we had a lecture on tides provided by Dr. C. Then we went out to dinner at Mary's. After Mary's we came back and went to go scorpion hunting, but the black light gave me a headache so I went back and started making my bed. A few good laughs later, with a smile on my face from talking to my mom, I curled up and watched the ocean before falling asleep.
And now it's Thursday and we are going to head out for our next adventure at 9. i can't wait to see what's next.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Tides
A demonstration of spring tides: when the sun (Heather) and moon (Lorin) are aligned and pull on the oceans of the earth (Jacob).
Cholla bay
Today we spent the morning at Cholla bay. As you can see, because the bay is so shallow the water really moves way out at low tide.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Day One of the Great Adventure
I get up this morning and make sure everything is packed. I ended up using a cab, not a bus, to get to the Red Mountain campus. So when the cab arrives (in a good time frame... that is a first). I pack up my two bags and climb in. It doesn't take much time before I decide that i have the best cab driver ever!
First, he actually used a map. Like an actual paper map. He mapped out our route and and we were on our way. He was polite and he asked if I would rather take another highway than the one by my house, because that one would be crowded and might slow us down... which in cab fare means that that the fare would be increasing by the minute.
Then I arrived there ahead of schedule and watched Alex and Glenn pack up the vans and then we were on our way with a few stops along the way. Soon we were on the road and picking up speed, as we drove through the desert and into the wasteland known as rural Arizona. On the way I listened to a little bit of We're Alive podcast and jumped several times. I turned it off and stared out the window thinking about life and the passing bushes as we followed a pair of train tracks.
Soon we were passing through Ajo (the little town that the city bus now travels too). On the other side of Ajo there is the even smaller town of Why. Which has a lot of stores labeled Ajo and my favorite store labeled "Why Not Travel Market".
We stopped for food and then we were off again. Soon we crossed the border and we entered Mexico. After another somewhat long drive, we ended up at CEDO.
We unpacked, and got our introductions to the research facility. I thought that it was interesting learning about what they do in their community. I thought it was important how to know how they help their community, so that we can help as well.
So some things that I thought were cool: giant grasshopper on the window at the restaurant where we ate dinner, having a guy come and play guitar for our table (really well done too), watching the sun set over the ocean, taking a quick dip in the ocean (and learning more about how much a person who can't swim very well and who had a panic attack during a scuba lesson should NEVER go into the ocean), and having people smile at us as they walk by (very different from downtown Tempe).
Over all a pretty good day and I had fun. Can't wait to see what happens tomorrow.
First, he actually used a map. Like an actual paper map. He mapped out our route and and we were on our way. He was polite and he asked if I would rather take another highway than the one by my house, because that one would be crowded and might slow us down... which in cab fare means that that the fare would be increasing by the minute.
Then I arrived there ahead of schedule and watched Alex and Glenn pack up the vans and then we were on our way with a few stops along the way. Soon we were on the road and picking up speed, as we drove through the desert and into the wasteland known as rural Arizona. On the way I listened to a little bit of We're Alive podcast and jumped several times. I turned it off and stared out the window thinking about life and the passing bushes as we followed a pair of train tracks.
Soon we were passing through Ajo (the little town that the city bus now travels too). On the other side of Ajo there is the even smaller town of Why. Which has a lot of stores labeled Ajo and my favorite store labeled "Why Not Travel Market".
We stopped for food and then we were off again. Soon we crossed the border and we entered Mexico. After another somewhat long drive, we ended up at CEDO.
We unpacked, and got our introductions to the research facility. I thought that it was interesting learning about what they do in their community. I thought it was important how to know how they help their community, so that we can help as well.
So some things that I thought were cool: giant grasshopper on the window at the restaurant where we ate dinner, having a guy come and play guitar for our table (really well done too), watching the sun set over the ocean, taking a quick dip in the ocean (and learning more about how much a person who can't swim very well and who had a panic attack during a scuba lesson should NEVER go into the ocean), and having people smile at us as they walk by (very different from downtown Tempe).
Over all a pretty good day and I had fun. Can't wait to see what happens tomorrow.
Arrival
A smooth drive down. All is well. The students are dipping their feet in the Gulf while the Dr.s settle into the lab. Out adventure has begun!
Monday, May 13, 2013
Packing and Getting Ready for the Upcoming Week
Spent the weekend thinking about what to pack and where it would go. But that started on Friday. Friday night I fretted over packing and what I would bring, how I would bring it, and what I really needed. Saturday soon came along. When I wasn't talking to my boyfriend, stuffing a sleeping bag into my hiking backpack (first time I actually get to use it, is on this trip), talking to my mom, or fretting over packing, I was enjoying the fact that it was my birthday. Then Sunday came along, and I spent the whole day with my mom as we watched many-an-episode of Nikita. I made her a card, and we spent the day talking and swimming in the pool. Then it was today, Monday. The day of the great packing challenge.
Now I am usually a pretty good packer, and I don't need a lot of stuff. So I am packing my bag when our 13 week old husky puppy decides that he doesn't want me to leave, and that packing is offensive. So he tries to pull everything out of my backpack. But eventually I get everything into the backpack that I need, and I am going to grab my laptop (the most fragile thing in that bag for the duration of the trip). I am in my bedroom (I decided to make the staging area in the corner of the living room), when I heard a crash. I run to see what had happened, and I find the puppy nosing through the bag with the contents EVERYWHERE! I guess he had tried to grab something from inside the bag, or had just grabbed the bag itself and pulled it off the table. But either way I spent an additional hour repacking and finding a taller place to put the bag, out of the reach of puppies. Meanwhile, my 2 year old lab/pit bull mix is watching the entire scene and giving me this look as if to say "I told you we shouldn't have gotten a puppy. Look at the trouble he caused. He did it, not me. I'm a good boy."
So eventually I got everything packed, looked at bus schedules to get the Red Mountain campus tomorrow morning (have to leave the house at 5:46 in the morning to get there on time, but I don't mind. This trip is worth it!), and decided to go swimming one more time before getting ready to go to bed. The snake has been fed and has water, Mom is going to take care of the dogs while I'm away (and remind my dog that I will be coming home eventually), and I'm mentally preparing myself to try to have a good time around a group I don't know very well (I am naturally shy and introverted).
Well that's all for today, be back later with more updates and stories from CEDO.
Now I am usually a pretty good packer, and I don't need a lot of stuff. So I am packing my bag when our 13 week old husky puppy decides that he doesn't want me to leave, and that packing is offensive. So he tries to pull everything out of my backpack. But eventually I get everything into the backpack that I need, and I am going to grab my laptop (the most fragile thing in that bag for the duration of the trip). I am in my bedroom (I decided to make the staging area in the corner of the living room), when I heard a crash. I run to see what had happened, and I find the puppy nosing through the bag with the contents EVERYWHERE! I guess he had tried to grab something from inside the bag, or had just grabbed the bag itself and pulled it off the table. But either way I spent an additional hour repacking and finding a taller place to put the bag, out of the reach of puppies. Meanwhile, my 2 year old lab/pit bull mix is watching the entire scene and giving me this look as if to say "I told you we shouldn't have gotten a puppy. Look at the trouble he caused. He did it, not me. I'm a good boy."
So eventually I got everything packed, looked at bus schedules to get the Red Mountain campus tomorrow morning (have to leave the house at 5:46 in the morning to get there on time, but I don't mind. This trip is worth it!), and decided to go swimming one more time before getting ready to go to bed. The snake has been fed and has water, Mom is going to take care of the dogs while I'm away (and remind my dog that I will be coming home eventually), and I'm mentally preparing myself to try to have a good time around a group I don't know very well (I am naturally shy and introverted).
Well that's all for today, be back later with more updates and stories from CEDO.
Not long now!
Likely we're all packing and going through our checklists this night before we leave on our big adventure to Mexico! Enjoy your last night in your bed and sleep well because your life is about to change in all kinds of good ways! See you in the morning at Red Mountain!
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