Today we woke up to a delicious home cooked meal thanks to Mrs. Hanson. We first all piled into a van to listen to a talk at NELHA in which the primary focus was the development and utilization of OTEC. To summarize OTEC uses both warm surface ocean water and cold deep ocean water to produce clean energy. The change in these temperatures allows ammonia to boil then liquify which spins a turbine. We then went to the Hawaiian Monk Seal Rehabilitation Center where we saw the young Seal who was being rehabilitated there. It was very sad to learn that there are only around 1400 seals left in the world with only 5 residing on the big island. We learned how they force fed the seals with a big tube and syringe to make sure they would get their proper nutrients before they can eat real fish. We also saw massive tape worms that were one of the most common ailments suffered by the noble creatures. The highlight of today was my trip to the summit with our awesome driver/guide Jeff. On our journey to eat dinner at 7,000ft I learned about cinder cones cause by volcanic activity which the Hawaiians called Pu’u. Naturally jokes were made but we got over that fast. We learned how culturally and religiously significant the mountain was as they believed that it is where the sky meets the earth. Lots of mythology surrounds the mountain with snow gods and lava gods residing there. Despite the loopiness and short breath my mind was still blown. We could see the lava glowing from the active volcano in the distance and miles of clouds. We then learned about how the Polynesians first navigated the Pacific waters and eventually reached the Hawaiian islands. Following this informative speech a telescope was set up that allowed us to view four planets even showing Saturn’s rings and Jupiter’s moons. This was by far my favorite part not only for the knowledge gained but also for the memories made. I felt closer than I ever had with my Jesuit brothers when marveling at the beauty surrounding the majestic mountain formed by the powerful underwater volcanoes and moving plates.
