Well, we made it. Much thanks to Mr. Cannon for leading a great trip. Let’s do it again next year…
Estimated Arrival Time
We are past the wreck on I-95, and moving along well. We are on track to arrive around 12:30 at the Central Church of God. See you there!
Slowed on I-95
We left breakfast in Walterboro on schedule, but are currently being slowed by an accident up ahead on I-95. We will try to give a projected arrival time once we are past the accident.
Great progress
Well, it is 7am Tuesday and we are just inside the South Carolina line at a rest stop. We will drive about an hour to exit 53 on I-95 to eat breakfast. After that, it is about 3 more hours to Charotte. We still plan to arrive just before noon at the Central Church of God.
The long road home…
So, we are on the road again. Check out the map. We have just left Key West (purple dot), and we are moving northbound up the Lower Keys (blue dot). We have a dinner stop planned in Florida City back on the mainland about 9pm. We should stop for breakfast in Walterboro, SC about 7am Tuesday morning. We still plan to arrive at the Central Church of God between 11am and noon. See you then!
The best day?
I bet if you ask students, today was the best day yet. After breakfast we returned to Duval Street in Key West. Students and faculty got a few hours to shop and eat before an afternoon sailing/snorkeling trip.
We sailed out in two large catamarans under sunny and clear skies. There was plenty of breeze, so both boats put up their sails.
Students got a chance to relax and enjoy themselves. It was an hour sail out, an hour on the reef for snorkeling, and an hour sail back.
Much thanks to Mr. Josh Cannon, who made all this possible! Notice he is all smiles now that all the hard stuff is over.
We are currently at Key West High School (home of the Fighting Conchs, no joke) using their shower facilities.
We hope to be leaving by 6pm to begin our almost 900 mile drive home…check back for progress updates or monitor our twitter hashtag #pdskeys11
Sunrise
The sun is up and we are packing up to leave after breakfast. Students will have a few hours on Duval Street before our afternoon sailing/snorkeling trip out of Key West harbor. No instruction or exploration today, just chillin’ with friends…
*Mr. Willard hopes to broadcast live from the boat after 1pm-just click on the Live Video tab at the top of the page.
Last lessons from the mangrove islands…
Today our groups scattered in and around Big Pine Island and the surrounding waters. Every student got to take a boat trip, with the opportunity to snorkel yet again.
My group went to the coral heads, a patch-reef system just offshore in the Atlantic Ocean. The winds have been high, so sediments have been stirred up and the water a bit murky. Despite the cloudy water, students who dove down about 8 feet could see colorful reef fish. One group even saw a loggerhead turtle and a small nurse shark. While the murky water has made snorkeling disappointing for many students, we usually have beautiful, clear water when we sail out to the barrier reef system on our final day.
After lunch, my group snorkeled the shallows around mangrove roots looking for organisms. Mangroves plan a critical role in the tropics as protective nurseries for many ocean fish and shellfish. Then, students conducted a brief study of sediment depth in seagrass beds just offshore.
Seagrasses play a critical role in trapping sediments, which gradually build up into mounds. When mangrove seeds lodge in these shallow, sandy mounds, new islands are born. Hopefully, all our students will walk away with a greater appreciation for mangrove and coral reef ecosystems be it for aesthetic, ecological, or utilitarian reasons.
Now, we are cleaning up and heading to Duval Street in Key West for dinner!
-Mr. W
Last day at NHMI
Good Sunday morning to you all. Today the students have two more lessons (including another boat trip), then we are off to Duval Street in Key West tonight for a good meal. Check back in later…
Cool critters
Tonight students continued to investigate marine organisms, with a focus on nocturnal adaptations. Students hunted along the seawalls with flashlights for crabs, spiny lobster, and octopus. One group got lucky and caught a small octopus. Here you see a brave student holding the octopus…
Then, students got a chance to dissect a small squid. Students worked in groups and learned the anatomy and physiology of these strange animals.
It has been a very full day. Time for some rest. Check back in on our adventures tomorrow.
