Today started out with the rooster alarm clock followed by eggs and hash browns for breakfast. The agenda for today was two wreck sites (submerged boats for snorkeling and diving) and a beach cleanup!
The first wreck site was of the USS Kittiwake. The United States Navy ship was a submarine rescue vessel in active duty from 1946 to 1994. The 251 foot ship was sunk in 2011 to serve as an artificial reef, providing many advantages to promote marine life. For example, they provide structure to help with coral growth while also keeping large object (like the ship) out of landfills. If targeted towards an area where a certain at-risk species usually hangs out, the artificial reef can help rebuild the fish population by providing a stable location to reproduce. The USS Kittiwake also has an interesting history during its eight years under the sea. The ship was originally sunken close to shore, however it was moved towards a nearby reef after strong waves from Tropical Storm Nate passed by Grand Cayman in October of 2017. Weighing 1,780 tons, a massive amount of force is required to move that much weight. Because oceans and marine life is affected by the weather above water, let’s dive into how water was able to completely pick up the USS Kittiwake and move it 50 feet from its original location. The category one hurricane only had top winds of 90 mph, but was able to generate strong rip currents that moved the ship. These strong rip currents combined with strong winds caused massive swells to form farther away from the wreck site. Swells are waves generated in the ocean, varying in size depending on what caused them. Swells caused by severe storms have been recorded to create waves more than 800 feet tall! The massive waves off the shore of Grand Cayman literally picked up the 3.56 million pound vessel and moved it 50 feet. That is some strong water!
The afternoon plan was a beach cleanup! We rode a bus to the beach, and upon arrival, Mr. Von handed out huge plastic bags to assist us with our scavenger hunt. Once we returned, I looked up Grand Cayman’s track record with amounts of garbage on beaches. Despite the fact that the island did not have many clean beaches, I found many reports of relief efforts through the organizations like Plastic-Free Cayman and Red Sail Sports. Since the cleanup efforts began in September of 2017, thousands of pounds of trash have been collected with some groups averaging 500 to 1,100 pounds of trash per cleanup! Way to go, Grand Cayman!
The physical toll of being in the sun and being active on the island each day has shown itself today, even through the chaperones. Despite the exhaustion, none of us have lost excitement for the days to come as we also dread our inevitable return. This truly is a very special place, and I am glad the gang is taking every opportunity to soak up all the fun and enjoy island life.
