After an exciting arrival day on the island, we set out on our second day. Our first stop, NELHA taught us three main points: OTEC, ocean water air conditioning, and the process of rehabilitating a monk seal. Firstly, OTEC creates renewable energy that can be accomplished by pumping cold deep ocean water and warm surface water. They use the warm water to heat a substance, in this case ammonia. This substance transfers to a gas due to the low boiling point causing the pressure to increase. This pressure spins a turbine causing energy to form. This reusable source runs independently of expensive resources that other energy plants require. The only work left to be done is the reduction of price which will happen as the technology increases. Secondly, the main visitor center of NELHA is air conditioned by the cool ocean water. The roof first reflects the heat and the cold deep ocean water directly under the floor. This water cools the air causing cold air to enter in floor vents. Finally, the monk seal rehabilitation center allowed us to see how volunteers take care of the struggling monk seals. These people work countless hours of tube feeding and teaching them how to survive in the wild. We then got to enter and explore the monk seal hospital/surgery room which is used when a monk seal needs an emergency procedure(luckily this has never happen). My two favorite parts of the day was the hike down into the valley and the exploration of the lava tubes. The hike was littered with small rocks and boulders that concluded in a beautiful black sand beach. Also, located on the hills, multiple rope swings created a competition, who could get launched the highest in the air. After wandering the beaches and having fun on the rope swing, we set back for the top. We all ran up the hike back to the van. For most people, the hike up takes around 45 minutes, but we accomplished this goal in under 15 minutes. After resting in the van we stopped at lava tubes created by the old extinct volcanoes. These large cave-like structures offered for a fun experience, trying to avoid the sharp cunning rocks. In conclusion, this day consisted of a educational morning and an adventurous afternoon.
