Human Environment Interaction in Paradise

A barge in the Nassau Harbor

                       H.E.I Is everywhere even in tropical paradises. Some of the most apparent signs of human-nature geography were few but puzzling and important. A big issue that should not be overlooked is the pollution in hte Nassau Harbor. Captain Jeff shared a few thought s on the topic that really changed my view on the effects of people on the enviroment. I remember the first day all of us were so excited to be near the crystal clear water so we asked if we could swim to the boat, he said no. we asked why and he simply explained that the water was so polluted that we would get sick if we did swim in it. "But the water is so clear, how coukd it be so polluted?", we asked. Well Captain Jeff explained to us that the companies and their barges put thousands of pounds of wastes into the water every year. He also told us that one way to help the pollution situation is to put all of our food left-overs into the sea. These left-overs also include our bodily wastes. You would think that this would worsen the problem but really the nutrients in the food and our wastes help feed the fish and replenish this nutrient barrren sea.

             Another quite obvious H.E.I example was located of the side of Allen's Cay. When eleanor and I explored the sharp island, we got to the edge of the island thinking that we could jump off into the water. There was somethig in our way from plunging into painless safety. The huge piles of dead eaten conch was excrutiating to look at. There had to be more than two hundred shelled conch laying motionless on the side of the island. It looked like the conch population had gone through a brutal holocaust. It made me think of greedy island hoppers killing innocent animals and unknowingly putting a dent on the pefrectly rounded population of conch. Now there is a law stating that a conch must be a certain size before you can eat them. There was also another island with a certain unique type of H.E.I.. This island had Pigs! I am sure not many people have seen an island with pigs on them. Of course this type of H.E.I is apparent, I mean how did these pigs get here. Humans had to have taken the pigs on this island. In this case the way humans transported foreign animals onto a new land is not entirely harmful. Thsi could have gotten out of hand just like many the most invasive species in the U.S.. As I have noted most of the invasive species are foreign species that don't belong in the U.S.. Thankfully people are trying to control the levels of damage that people are doing to some of the world most beautiful places, Including The Exumas!!

The Amazing Conch

               A conch looks like a typical shell available at beaches anywhere, really what is inside is bigger than any average beach-goer would expect. A conch is often confused with typical shells able to be found at beaches around the world. A true conch is in its most abundance in and around the Carribean Sea. The Queen Conch or Strombus gigas is a gastropod,and invertebrate, that has a soft body protected by a very hard shell. Conch are consumed by many animals including people. The meat is not the only part of the animal you can use. The shell is used to make jewelry and to serve as the base of conch trumpets. The conch does not grow very fast so it is fairly easy to distinguish babies and full grown adults. The shell of the conch is spiral shaped lined with a smooth, pink lip. The shell is made from calcium carbonate that is taken from the sea. The shell can grow anywhere from four inches to one foot long! The smooth, pink lip curves towards the outside and on the inside there are spines to deter predators.




                 The Queen Conch is divided into three parts, the head, the visceral mass, and the foot. Two pairs of tentacles are located on the head. There is a light sensitive eye on each of the farger tentacles. The smaller pair of tentacles are used to smell and to touch. When young conch sense danger they are able to use there tentacles and small size to bury themselves under the sand. Conch have a diet that consists of grass, algae, and organic debris that floats in the sea. People with Queen Conch in their diet can't eat the whole conch on the "foot" is edible. The foot is a flesh peice of meat the serves as a way to move. When the conch is fully inside of its shell the foot is not visible. the foot is usually balck in color with a sharp "toe nail" attached at the end. to extract the conch from the shell either the person removing it must insert their hand into the lip and try toe pull it out or stab a hole at the top and pull out the meat. then you must cut off the non-edible parts, and continue to cook and consume thsi delicious animal!

Conch with its "toe nail" out

Departure



Overhead shot of the NAS airport



              The time has come, the time to officially depart from Nasssau came upon us. We all grabbed our belongings, bid farewell to Captain Jeff, and piled into the car waiting to take us to the Nassau, Bahamas airport. We were scrunched and it was hot, we rode into the car for no more than 10 minutes. During the drive to NAS we all were suprisingly watchful our our surroundings. Some of the things I noticed were: fruit stands on the side of the road, school kids playing soccer, and drivers sitting on the right side of the car. I was snapped out of my trance the moment we pulled up to the airport. We got out thanked the driver and walked throught the entrance. The first thing I saw in that airport was a woman, about 55, wearing jeggings, studded boots, and a black lace top. On top of that, she sounded like she had been smoking for about 30 years. I would be lying if I said that it didn't amuse me, soon enough everybody else saw this woman too. After getting our passports checked we headed strait for security.

            Well, in security you are required to take your shoes off, chug all the water you have left in your bottle, and stuff everything  you have into one bag. Kristin had a problem with stuffing all of her things into on bag. When we were at the market Kristin had bought a purse. Unfortunately, this purse had to be stuff into Kristin's severely over-packed bag. After a few minuted and more than enough confused stares, Kristin managed to make it work. We then passed through security without any problems and headed to our gate. All of the gates were suprisingly open and had many more stands than in the U.S.. It was very bright, it made me very cheerful. There was even an ocean theme, the walls were aqua, and the carpet was turquoise. To make all of this even better there was a Dunkin Donuts! Even though there were no coolatas, it still was delicious. Suddenly, a gasp came from Elinor, she forgot to buy gifts for her family. Kristin also forgot to buy a gift for her dad. Off they went scrutinizing the stands for gifts while Mrs. Pollitt, Anne, Eleanor, and I relaxed.

Drinks in a Coconut



Grammar Mistake!
There should be no apostrophe in "Paninis"



 We had about 30 minutes before we actually had to leave for our flight so Mrs. Pollitt decided that we should have one last refreshment before we left. We all stopped at a cute little bar and grill near our premeditated meeting spot. When the lady asked what we would like to drink I thought that it would be really cool if we could have a drink in a coconut while we were in the Bahamas. I asked if there was a beverage that was able to be served in a coconut, the lady said that a drink like that was available. We all ordered one and eagerly awaited the arrival of our tropical drinks. While we were waiting we all went over our purchases for ourselves, and family. I bought a map for my dad, a shirt for Gavin, a fan  for my mom, and a woven glasses case for my grandma. then before we knew it our drinks had arrived. Unfortunately the woman must have misunderstood me instead of a drink in a coconut she made us coconut drinks. They were still delicious. Since I was so tired i started to get very sloppy and I spilled my drink. Whoops! Oh well I decided to just sip the drink right off the table and everybody joined me. A few minutes after the mess and the sides of our cups were cleaned up we left for the cab that was going to take us to the Airport.



Before



After













Shopping

              Sadly, the dreaded day came upon us the last day. the itinerary consisted of sailing for six hours, shopping, and leaving. After our six hours of seeing nothing but ocean we arrived back at the starting place of our fantastic adventure. We anchored Boundless on the docks were we could successfully unload our things onto the dock and start our shopping spree. As soon as all of the bags were delivered safely onto the docks everyone except Captain Jeff went on our way to go shopping. For about a block we walked down the street then the heat started to hit us we were sweating so badly. Since we have been sheltered b y the cold water from the heat, we really haven't been hot for a while. We then stopped at the closest convenience store to grab a cold drink. the drinks were so cheap, only about a dollar for a soda! We quickly re hydrated ourselves and went on our way.

             We walked down the streets looking at the surprisingly high number of designer stores right next to the road. I have never been near such a large amount of designer stores in my life. Stores like: Cartier, Chanel, Coach, Gucci, and Swarovski were some some of the many choices available to you. After about 5 blocks of varying stores we arrived at our destination, So large you couldn't miss it, The Nassau Market. Aisles and  aisles full of varying products from pretty convincing knockoffs to wooden toys for children. These aisles were jam packed full of native Bahamians trying to sell their products. I knew what I was looking for, and I knew my boundaries money-wise. Captain Jeff had told us the art of bartering and I was definitely nervous, I felt like I would buckle in the heat of the moment. I followed Eleanor Lavin to see how it was done. Boy did she do it well, the women selling their items would gossip about her and call her the "Little Gangster". Finally my time had come I spotted the bag I wanted, time to barter!

            The lady wanted me to pay her $40 for this bag, That was a ridiculously high price to pay for the bag i wanted. My target price was set for $2, but i would settle for anywhere near $28. I started talking very sweetly and soon enough she offered $27, I had to go lower this art is intoxicating. She finally agreed on $25. I did it I mastered the art of bartering, time to practice some more. Since there was nothing else I wanted to buy I offered to barter for others. Elinor had already bought something from a certain woman and wanted something else, so I barter with the lady for a Chanel wallet. I did it again, was so proud of myself. by the end of the shopping trip Eleanor ended up buying three purses and a wallet. Then our shopping time was over and we had to leave to go to the airport to await our departure back to the U.S..

Octopuses Garden

                Octopuses garden is most known as a song written by the Beatles. Octopuses Garden is also a coral reef located in the Bahamas, which the crew of Boundless had the opportunity to snorkel over. Know I am able to say that I have been to Octopuses garden. Of course, no one will believe me but I now have bragging rights. At first i did not fully understand the concept of the term " Octopuses Garden". But when you see for yourself the reason is clear. The coral is bright as the plants on land. The reef is filled with brilliant shades of red, purple, green, blue, and every color in between. Unfortunately  some of this and other coral reefs have been torn apart by humans touching them and their boats knocking against the coral. coral is as delicate as linen. Even the slightest touch will kill the polyps on the surface of the coral. Who would want to kill such a beautiful animal? While floating above the coral we had to be very careful, which was extremely difficult thanks to the strong current. My legs began to feel weak so I took a break. I then quickly jumped back in to further explore the vast breadth of this beautiful "garden".

Angel Fish

             When I jumped in for the second time, I started to dive more in order to more clearly see the fish and coral. I saw all different types of coral, like: brain coral, fire coral, fan coral which is a dazzling purple color, and much more. I also saw many types of fish i would only imagine in my mind. fish like: Turkey Fish, Angel Fish, Sergeant Majors, and many variations of tropical fish. I was so amazed, and once I believed I had seen what I wanted to see I headed back to the dinghy and I sat and let my legs get a rest from the fighting current. Captain Jeff went out lobster spearing once Mrs. Pollitt boarded the dinghy. Captain Jeff caught two lobster and this time Kristin was not so skiddish around the lobster. She even took a picture with it. We proceeded to motor back to the boat and devour both lobsters just as fast, if not faster than the one before. With our stomach full we slept awaking unto our last day. 

Private Beach

                 When most people think of the Bahamas, they think of clear waters and beautiful beaches. well, today we got all of that and the beach was private! We sailed just a few minutes away from our anchor spot and motored over to a small private island just big enough for the 6 of us. Each one of us decided to do different things. Some of us explored, some of us tanned, and some of us played in the sand. Eventually everybody got jaded of doing thins separately and we all either made drip castles, buried ourselves, or dug a massive hole in the sand. Whatever we did we all relaxed like a couch potato in an IKEA. Kristin was so adventurous in that she went out and collected 47 sand dollars! We all decided that it would be a lot of fun if we took pictures of all of us jumping over each other.
            
                We got up to start leaping, until we realized that Anne was stuck in the sand. We all got together and pulled her free from the surprisingly heavy sand. Then we began to leap like NINJAS! We all got our sports model poses and we departed from the relaxing island. before we re-embarked onto Boundless Anne, Eleanor, Kristin, Elinor, and I wanted to stop by a cave shaped hole in the island we had seen earlier. That cave like hole was super cool and mysterious it felt like a cave dweller was going to step out any minute. Then we arrived back onto Boundless and prepared for our next adventure.

Pulling the Dinghy was Definately Worth It!

Mangroves

                 The stingray was not the end of excitement for the day. We still had another cain of islands to go. We sailed for about 2 hours to get to the final destination of the day. From the start I could tell that these were going to be some pretty islands. However pretty was nothing compared to what it actually was. These islands were magnificantly breathtaking. Indescribeable in one word, the colors were vibrant, the water was crystal clear, and the air smelled fresh not like dirty salt water similar to the smell of many oceans. Even the sand was at the peak of perfection, soft against your toes. Every rose has a thorn, and this rose's thorn was pulling the dinghy. Since the beautiful sand was too shallow we had to pull the dinghy across the sand bar. Unfortunately i was paranoid the whole time. I was afraid that a conch would stick out its nail and puncture my bare feet. About 10 minutes later we rode the dinghy to a small private coral reef. We snorkeled around, and for me this was my first coral reef so I was amazed by the bright colors and tropical fish. This makes this archipelago even better. There were even  mangroves on the sides which serve as a home to many baby fish that was amazing to see plants interact so directly with sea life. This was only part of  this wonderful ecosystem!

Nurse Shark Fin

                 My legs began to wane in strength, so I hopped up on the dinghy. Soon enough the current started to get the best of everybody and one by one people started to load onto the dinghy. Kristin and captain Jeff were the only two left and we were all freezing. Captain Jeff grabbed his spear and explicated were he saw some lobster. We were all watching as Captain Jeff threw down his spear and stabbed the shell of the lobster. He threw it onto the dinghy and went to catch more. We were all a little creeped out by the dead crustacean in our midst, especially Kristin. Kristin was so scared by it, she was hysterical! part of the fact was that the lobster rubbed its antenna together and made a screeching sound used to warn other lobsters. During our whine-fest Captain Jeff popped up his head and shouted "I see a nurse shark!". Mrs. Pollitt hopped in the water with her trusty camera and snapped a few photos. This concluded our day as we sped back to Boundless. Captain Jeff cooked the lobster followed by us quickly devouring it. That was a full day of excitement and fun. 

The Sunken Plane

              
                 This is the beautiful sight of our new adventures ( or at least part of it), Norman's Cay. To most this is the stereotypical look of an island. Really this string of islands has a dark, and mysteriously intriging history. About 50 years ago these islands were occupied by a very sneaky druglord and his helpers. This man's name was Carlos Later. Carlos Later flew various kinds of drugs from Mexico through the Bahamas and into the U.S.. Many years after the inception of this wildly illegal plan, Carlos's plan failed when his plane crashed into the water between two of the islands. The wildest part about it..... we got to snorkel inside it! This activity is like one you would see on movies I would have never thought that I would actually do it one day. The moment I spotted the sunken plane I was in my wetsuit faster than you can say neoprene. We anchored the boat in the vicinity of this enigmatic piece of history. Once we were fully stopped none of us hesitated to lower the dinghy and speed over to the plane. We stopped the dinghy and all of us splashed in at once. When you first look at the plane you see the cockpit open and laden with fish. Coral occupies every nook and crannie. One of the most popular species of coral, Fire Coral. This kind of coral stings you if you touch it. That wasn't the only surprise in the plane.

              Once I finished going around and through the plane, Elinor and I decided to head back to the dinghy. We were swimming and swimming until I halted because of a mysterious metal part of the plane seperated from the integral piece. I dove down to take a closer look (not to far due to my ear issues. I scrutinized it carefully and it just looked like an incredibly mis-shapen part of a propeller. Everything was calm and cool until Elinor and I both realized it had EYES!!!! We screamed and kicked away as fast as our bodies would let us. The screaming was not heard by everybody since the water muffled our voices. Once we caught sight of the dinghy we lifted our heads above the water and screamed "There is a stingray to the right of the plane". Mrs. Pollitt quickly grabbed her camera and jumped in. Elinor and I were so scared we squirmed onto the dinghy and panted until everybody else was ready to depart. This was such a movie moment aside from the panicked swimming away. This was enough excitement for one day. Hopefully more exciting moments lie ahead.

Stingray

Land of the Iguanas

           Allen's Cay here we come. We had to sail six hours to get there but it was definately worth it. Once we arrived all of us; Anne, Kristin, Elinor, Eleanor, Mrs. Pollitt and me, were so excited we ungracefully slid into our neoprene wetsuits faster than Usain Bolt can run the 500 meter dash. We all jumped onto the dinghy and went to Allens Cay otherwise known to us as "The Iguana Island". We stepped off the dinghy onto the soft sand off Allen"s Cay. Almost immediately iguanas of all sizes started to emmerge from the brush of the islands. Kristin desperately wanted to poke one the lizards, to keep Kristin from getting bitten we denied her of this action. The iguanas were so interesting, the would even scoot towards after a minute or so. There were even baby iguanas coming up to us.

         Contrary to most people's beliefs not all islands have an abundance of palm trees. For example Allen's Cay only had one. We all tried to climb the lone twelve foot tree, and we all failed. Kristin was determined to climb the whole twelve feet and retrieve a coconut she abruptly failed right after she took the first leap onto the tree's trunk. After oour disapointing encounter with the lone palm tree, we decided to engage in some less physically draining activities. Snorkeling was first on the list, at Allen's Cay the water's are clear, the sand is snow white, and as soft as velvet, Allen's Cay is most definately postcard worthy. All these factors made snorkeling more enjoyable than it already is. We found a lot of small coral and baby conch shells. Mrs. Pollitt found one suprisingly amusing mound of sand with a stream of sand coming out of the top of it, almost like a volcano. After Elinor and I got tired of snorkeling we secretly added another item to the to-do list; Exploring! Unfortunately, Elinor and I had no idea that this section of the island was made entirely out of sharp eroded rock. we thought we could make it through so we kept painfully walking through this sharp beach. We got stuck but after a few minutes we figured it out and arrived safely onto the dinghy.

     

          Once we embarked back onto Boundless Elinor and I inspected our cut feet, everyone joined together for dinner. That night was the first meal I had ever had on a boat, the kitchen was just as new to me. The stove was very different from the stove most people have in their homes, this one rocked with the boat! The refridgerator was also unique in that it was built into the counter. These appliances seem to work because the spaghetti on the boat was delicious. Exceeding the standards of what anybody would think possible to be created in the confines of a 46ft boat. Compliments to the chef (Mrs. Pollitt)! After we filled our stomachs with a satisfying meal we proceeded to play a game Captain Jeff usually plays on the boat. He would ask us odd questions like: "If you could have any super power what would it be?" That wasn't all we did before we hit the sack, we also watched a boat appropriate movie, Captain Ron. Captain Ron was the perfect ending to an adventurous day.



Arrival

         "Ugggh, It's four in the morning, do I really have to get up" That is what I would have said on any other day. However today is not just any other day, today is the day I go to the BAHAMAS! Now this is what I said "Yes it's 4 in the morning, it's Bahamas time!" Once I hurridly get myself together we are out the door on our way to the airport.Of course the roads were clear, so made it to the airport in expert time. We get our tickets and we head to our gate. Once we get passed security there is a man with a massive golf cart, and no one would pass up a free golf cart ride. So we jump on and speed through the empty corridors. we make it to our gate. There starts our journey to Nassau, Bahamas. We started in Louisville then we went to Atlanta, and then to the Bahamas ;Finally a break.

         We finally arrived in Nassau! It is so magnificent here. We hop into a cab and drive over to Nassau Harbor. The harbor is filled with expensive yachts, tough sailboats, and cargo ships. We started to embark on the boat Boundless! First we get familiar with the boat and Captain Jeff, then we get moving.We sailed about 20 minutes to a place outside the harbor.On the way there we saw many beautiful, majestic vacation homes right on the water. Not even 5 minutes later we were already dressed in our neoprene wetsuits ready to snorkel. And snorkel we did, Kristin dove and and caught a furry sea cucmber, sea star, and a conch; Kristin is a beast. onced we finished snorkeling our day was practically over. Well, we did watch a movie and sleep under the stars. So overall today was an exciting and productive day!