Under the Sea

I snorkel like it's my job! Oh wait... it is. :) I can't get enough of the reefs here! There is so much coral, so many fish, and just a ton of life in general! Yesterday I had a boat driving lesson, which went really well, and am becoming quite handy at being a deckhand (well at least I've come a long way from falling out of the boat on day one!) We finally finished all of our adult sampling in the field, and are now awaiting the spawning on the new moon. I'd say only in Moorea, can you come straight from the field, soaking wet, still in your bathing suit and bare feet, and start doing your lab work... I thought wearing slippers in the lab in Hawaii was a bad habit!

It amazes me how impatient drivers are here... seriously, I don't understand how anyone could possibly be in a hurry! Today, we drove around the whole island, which only took about an hour. Along the way, we stopped for pizza and pineapple juice. The fresh juices here are AMAZING! I can now say hello, thank you, sorry, pineapple and a few other random words in French, which have all been very useful! It's been really windy for the past few days, and although it makes it a little rough on the boat, it definitely helps with the heat factor!

 The other people here at the research station are really awesome, and are doing really interesting work. I have also made friends with the two station dogs: Guinness and Chicken, both of whom I may be very tempted to take back to Hawaii with me...