BIOL232 Field Marine Ecology Student Blog Posts
Student blog posts from our winter break 2024 trip to Jamaica!
Day 5 (Dec 17)
Mark: After breakfast of eggs, toast, bacon, pineapple, and orange juice we prepped for our day of tourism. The day included a trip to the Jamaican Heritage Site and Museum, which was a former plantation during the time period of English colonization. After learning about the history of the Jamaican people, known as the Taino, and the eventual Jamaican freedom becoming its own country in 1962. The picture is one of the stone cravings that was made by the Taino. We made our way for lunch. KFC, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, very American.
Hashim: When we got to the lunch spots, we split into two groups—some went to Pizza Hut, and others to KFC. I was in the KFC group. While I’m not usually a fan of fast food, this meal brought a familiar comfort, a taste of home, since it’s food we see every day as Americans. After lunch, we headed to Dunn’s River Falls, a highlight of the trip that I’d been looking forward to for a long time. It did not disappoint—the views were absolutely breathtaking. It’s easily one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. We spent a couple of hours climbing the waterfalls, enjoying the cool water, and then relaxed at the beach located right at the base of the falls. Afterward, we treated ourselves to some ice cream before heading back to campus. Once there, we got ready for dinner. The chefs, as always, prepared an incredible meal for us. Later that evening, we played a fun group game, which was the perfect way to wind down before bed.
Day 4 (Dec 16)
Ande: To start the day we started by having an amazing breakfast of eggs, french toast and bacon, which fueled us up for a snorkeling adventure! We went down the boardwalk and were soon in the ocean snorkeling. My favorite thing to see today was either seeing the squirrelfish or seeing an eel. After we fueled up again on some french fries and chicken to then spend some free time tanning. When tanning I watched the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which is an amazing, but sad movie I highly recommend!! Then my group and I would spend some time finalizing our project proposal. We then would eat another yummy dinner of fish and rice, with some delicious ice cream as dessert. We would end the day by coloring marine animal ornaments and chatting!
Morgen: My day started by waking up and immediately going to breakfast, where we had french toast, eggs, bacon, and fruit! We got to relax for an hour until I went with the second group to go snorkeling. Today, we snorkeled off of the boardwalk, which has a lot of coral reef area with tons of fish! We saw some cool things like eels, porcupine fish, and a queen conch! After snorkeling for an hour, we all laid out on the docks to tan. We went to lunch, where we had fried chicken and french fries! After lunch, we went back out to tan. Before dinner, we worked on our research project proposals with our groups. We then went to dinner, where we had pork, fish, rice, and veggies. For dessert, we had cookies and cream ice cream! After dinner, we got to see the amazing sunset over the bay. Dr. Lord and Dr. Woods surprised us with marine animal ornaments to draw together, so we all went to the conference room and watched some videos together while we colored them! We ended the night by watching some of the students go night snorkeling around the docks. This day was so much fun and I cannot wait for the days ahead!!!
Day 3 (Dec 15)
Mia: Today we woke up and had breakfast bright and early and had pancakes which was a good way to start our day since we finally went snorkeling! I was in the first group to go out so I got really lucky. I was putting on my wetsuit, which took forever, It really made me work up a sweat, and I headed down to the docks to get the rest of my gear. As Dr. Lord began to explain the procedures I suited up and finally got in the water. Seeing all the animals under the water was really amazing. Dr. Woods described it as a huge aquarium, like you never know what you’re going to end up seeing, and I wouldn’t be able to describe it any better. This was a very first experience for me and I had never experienced anything like it before. It was so amazing and I can’t wait to do it again for the rest of my time here.
Day 1-2 (Dec 13-14)
Hanna: Our Jamaica adventure kicked off bright and early with a flight out of Newark at 8 am. By noon, we had landed on this tropical paradise and hopped on a quick bus ride to our marine lab! Dinner that night was amazing— fried chicken, veggies, rice, and of course, chocolate chip cookies for dessert. We were off to a great start! The next morning, after a delicious breakfast with fresh fruit, we drove into town to stock up on Jamaican snacks and drinks. After tasting a little bit of everything, we took a nap in our dorms. Although it was too windy to be able to snorkel that day, we ended up putting on our booties and wading through the shallow water near the boardwalk. We found a bunch of different species, including starfish, brittle stars, sea anemones, and lots and lots of sea urchins. Definitely better than I ever could have imagined.
Giselle: The first two days of Jamaica have been quite eventful from an early morning flight to exploring the vibrant culture and stunning landscapes of the island. Upon our arrival, we were excited to check into the Discovery Bay Marine Lab and settle into our rooms. We then took a guided tour of the facility, allowing us to familiarize ourselves with our surroundings and the area's breathtaking beauty. With so much excitement in the air, we ended our first day with a delicious dinner, where I got to try pork, rice, and fried chicken. On the second day, although we weren't able to snorkel as planned, we made the most of our time with group bonding activities. We strolled along the boardwalk, and then we were able to walk along the ocean and spotted a variety of marine life, including a brittle star and a flounder that camouflaged very well making it fun to try and spot it! As the evening unfolded, a group of us played volleyball and relaxed for the night! The first two days in Jamaica have already created lasting memories, and we are excited for the next adventures ahead of us!