Drew Bonneau '19

After two long days of diving, day six started off a little slower. We started day with a service project, a beach cleanup. Plastics and other marine debris can be extremely harmful to aquatic plants. Plastics take much longer to break down than most other materials. Often when a plastics are thrown away, they end up in the ocean...

With only one dive remaining in the day, I woke up Friday morning with excitement. We started off our day back at the NELHA facility and entered the incredible deep water air conditioned room. We climbed down into a small, compacted, and cool room. Our guide explained to us again about how the room cooled and how it helped...

As day four began, I knew it was going to be one of the longest and most tiring days yet. We started the day with the Captain Zodiac tour group and set out for a snorkel and to learn about the island history. We learned about the lava tubes and how they contained different minerals. The most well known...

Day 3, the most action packed and exciting day on the trip so far. The day began bright and early with a two tank dive. This was personally my first dive in the open ocean and it brought new surprises. The ability to see around 100 feet under water was something I have never experienced. During the dives, I...

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...

After a long and overwhelming day of travel, we finally arrived in this beautiful and tropical environment. The exhilarating ride up the canyon road lead us to our private housing compound, our home for the week. As soon as exiting the van, we eagerly explored the wooded environment. The narrow winding pathways and short trees leads to searching for...

As I anxiously await the start of the trip, I wonder about all the great memories I am about to experience. I am looking forward to completing my first dives, exploring a new place with my classmates, and meeting new people from different cultures. I am probably looking most forward to diving. I also am interested in really getting...