Today was a busy day. We started waking the guys around 8am so we could meet our taxi at 8:30. Most cabins were already up and moving; it is hard to sleep too late when the windows are open and sun rises around 4:30am. Although I say that, many guys still managed to need a wake-up knock to start the day. The taxi took us to our classroom where we were met by Sam and Andrew. We had a great breakfast of cereal, fruit, oatmeal, muffins, and bagels…good filling for these guys. Everyone loaded up on water and juices throughout the morning to combat dehydration on the boats. Samantha started the day by facilitating a discussion about conservation and the need to learn about the marine environments. The guys, although tired, were receptive to the topics and began connecting many of the conversations we had in Dallas. It is always gratifying when students demonstrate understanding/s through relationships. Andrew followed Samantha and gave an overview of the fish species present in BVI. The slides in his PowerPoint were supplemented by a ReefCheck booklet given to every student. Tomorrow, during our snorkeling, the students will carry these to document what they see. Talk about hands on learning! Tomorrow will serve as practice for our research contributions later in the trip. The classroom portion was capped by a lunch of sandwiches, chips, and French fries. Our taxi took us from the classroom to our boats. Every portion of the trip has been amazingly coordinated by Dive BVI; there are no delays or confusion about what is next. We split into our groups and headed to Ginger Island. On my boat, Sea Monkey, Sam gave a dive site briefing as Andrew rechecked all of the tanks and equipment. If there is one thing that is obvious, safety is paramount in everyones mind. Our goals for the dive included completing several peak performance buoyancy objectives and practicing fish identification. We dove for 43 minutes at a maximum depth of 48 feet. We saw a wide variety of fish species that many of the guys mentioned in their blog posts. Visibility was good and the temperature was perfect. We returned to the marina and, after an hour of R&R, headed to Mad Dogs to enjoy pizza and an amazing sunset. I think many of the students are making new friends and polishing old friendships. This week is much more than an academic course…
As a teacher, watching the students learn without realizing they are learning is amazing. It would take days of repetitive or boring lessons to get them to memorize the names and description of fish species; however, they picked it up in no time because they could experience them in the context of diving and conservation. More exciting than the learning, it is great sitting back and watching them figure things out for themselves. Whether it is asking a question to someone other than their teacher or having a peer offer a suggestion, this group is starting to balance personalities and become comfortable with each other. Just about every teacher dreams about teaching “on location” so that students can live, eat, and experience the content and formulate new questions or answers. Nothing can beat spending hours under the ocean’s surface for a class and I can promise you these guys are doing more than just taking in the sights. The work that has been put into this trip, from every planner and participant, is paying off in a variety of ways.
It would be unjust to not constantly recognize the efforts and commitment of the Dive BVI staff. Casey, Jeff, Samantha, and Andrew have been amazing to work with and, like I mentioned in the post, everything has been perfectly seamless. From safety on the boats to information about fish, they truly care about what they are doing and are passionate about sharing BVI and their experiences with us. Their energy is contagious and I think an interest in the ocean and planet is brewing inside the guys as a direct result of what they are doing and experiencing with us. Until tomorrow…
