If I was a Great White... I'd probably bite you

But of course, the ONE day I decide NOT to bring my camera with me into the water, a shark swims right in front of me! It was really windy this morning, giving the water eerily low visibility. Nevertheless, we were on a mission to collect parrot fish poop (part of Maggie's graduate work that I volunteered to help with since I love to snorkel so much!). A word about collecting poop, in the water, from fish... parrot fish, mind you, who are ten times more aware of your proximity than any other fish on the reef ... let's just say it's slightly frustrating.


Back to my story ... the spot we anchored at was deeper than we usually snorkel in, but there were probably a million parrot fish, so it was perfect! So, I'm following this particularly large and colorful parrot fish, just waiting for him to relieve himself, when I look up just in time to see a black tip reef shark come out from behind a bommie, swim swiftly in front of me, and back into the curtain of suspended sediments. I was speechless, and somehow not nervous the whole time it was swimming by me. It was only when it disappeared that first, I was like "oh my gosh, that was so awesome!!!", and second found it much more difficult to focus on the parrot fish with the shark in mind.


Black tip reef sharks are sleek, relatively small (this one was about four feet), and aren't known to be aggressive. Eventually, I refocused on the parrot fish and was beginning to get both frustrated and cold. Just as I'm considering giving up and heading back to the boat, out of the corner of my eye, I see the black tip swimming at full speed in front of me! The shark was swimming so fast, it wasn't until I had turned a full 360 degrees while watching it that I noticed it was circling.  I was sure that the shark would not attack, but its behavior was enough to send me back to the boat thinking that if it had been a tiger or a great white, I'd have been toast!

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...

Fighting the current

I have blisters on my toes from kicking so much with my fins! There is swell outside the barrier reefs, so current is insanely strong everywhere we go! We try to swim against it going out, so that when we can't fight it any longer, we turn back and have to dodge the coral heads as we are swept back to the boat. It's exhausting, but there's really no escaping it... The fish make it look so easy.

It's been a busy last couple of days, finishing up collections and working on adult coral colony sampling. We have been to many different sites to collect, and seen things like giant crown-of-thorn starfish, huge leopard print sea cucumbers and an octopus! Most importantly, though, we are finding the corals we came for, and plenty of them! Two of the species we were hoping would spawn on the full moon (as they do in Hawaii), sadly did not. So, we are crossing our fingers that the other two species will act as their Hawaiian relatives and spawn for the new moon in about a week. Until then, we will continue to fight the current and sample from adult colonies in the field!


Between our research agenda and my school work (which so far I have been diligently keeping up with...), I have been finding some time to soak up this wonderful place I am in. Yesterday, I commandeered an abandoned kayak at the station to watch the sun set from the water, and today I went for a walk to the nearest town, taking a few detours along the way to find mangos and starfruit growing off the beaten path.

Visual Sensory Overload

Frankly, I was not prepared to see this place in the daylight. I woke up, walked outside, and just stood there. Is this real???  The Gump station is literally right on the water in Cook's Bay, which is surrounded by these insanely jagged, and strangely beautiful mountains on three sides, and opens up to absolutely perfect waves that peel over the fringe reef. After catching my breath, Maggie and I headed up to a view point of both bays in Moorea called the Belvedere. The drive was an adventure, as Maggie is a beginner at driving standard, and I haven't got much more knowledge aside from one very brief lesson with my oh-so-patient brother (not to mention the gas gage is broken). I was trying to be encouraging, but was so distracted by the trees and mountains and flowers and rocks... I'm afraid poor Maggie did most of the worrying on her own. I just had a good feeling about it, what can I say? It always works out somehow right? Well, it did. We made it, and it was unreal!!!

That afternoon, we embarked on our first of three attempts to collect some of the coral species we are after. The first two endeavors were by boat, and let's just say that it was really obvious how undeveloped my sea legs are because the second we anchored, I stood up, attempted to put on my mask, and fell backwards into the water. Good thing  I was planning on getting in anyway! The water is insanely clear here! Seriously, I thought the water was blue in Hawaii!! The first site was sadly mostly dead, most likely because of a cyclone they were hit by a few years ago. The second site was much more promising, with lots of coral, weird fish, and giant clams with neon feet! However, the current was really strong because of the swell, and there wasn't much of our target coral species. The abundance of cool things to see in the water did not make it any less difficult to focus on our mission either.

The third venture, this time by car, proved highly successful and we collected several happy colonies. I have seen so much in one day, it's difficult to process, but I guess now I will have to cancel out all of the visual stimulation by doing my homework.

Bonjour Moorea!

Well, I finally made it! I have spent many many hours at the airport, but although exhausting, it's been sort of wonderful. Listening to all of the beautiful French around me, wishing I could understand... It's given me time to let it all sink in. The opportunity that I have been given to help continue the coral reef research efforts of Hawaii in French Polynesia, and to feel the excitement of the experience that it will be. I am trying not to expect anything, particularly of myself. I am reminded that expectations are often guaranteed disappointments and soak it in, making the most of it all- even the delays.


Landing was breathtaking! The landscape in Tahiti is so dramatic and beautiful! We were greeted at the airport with flowers, music, and intense humidity! I couldn't stop smiling! The currency here looks and feels like something from a deep sea treasure chest! I managed to catch the last ferry to Moorea with the hopes that I would figure out a ride to the Gump station when we docked. We motored into the sunset, with dolphins jumping in our wake. There weren't any taxis when I got there, and I had no idea how to let my contact know that I had made it... so, I kindly asked a tour van if they could squeeze me in and drop me off at the Gump station (from the map, I gathered it wasn't too far), and thankfully, the driver was more than happy to for 300 CPF (about 3 bucks!).


Needless to say I made it, found Maggie (UH grad student I'll be working with), much to her surprise! The stars here are so bright and beautiful! However, the dark tour of the station left me anxious to see it all in the daylight. We ate amazing crepes for dinner at this adorable crepery off the road, and I slept under a mosquito net for the first time! I woke up to an insanely beautiful morning and I can't even wait for the day to begin!!! And, yes, there are LAND crabs!! This one ventured much too far from his hole...

To Love A Place, You Have To Know It First

A couple of weeks ago, I took a class field trip to Makua Valley, a sacred and beautiful place that today, few are permitted enjoy. The tension between the military occupying the valley and those whose hearts belonged to its preservation was tangible. As a passerby, it may appear to be a striking set of mountains looking down upon a protected stretch of land, a sanctuary for wildlife. However, the scars in the valley run deep, and things are not always as they appear. After learning of the turmoil it and the people who once called it home have endured, I saw it more clearly. I was in awe that such an incredible place can't be appreciated, is so off limits, especially to those who understand it best: the native people. I left feeling confused, sad, and somewhat disappointed at how little of it we were "allowed" access to. I understand the danger, but am frustrated by why it is even a factor. The earth was never intended to be something to be afraid of, I think there's a reason nothing natural can give anyone the power that man-made weapons can.

That same day, we were guided by a Hawaiian cultural historian on the Likeke trail at the base of the Ko'olau mountains, on the opposite side of the island as Makua Valley. This place also showed signs of struggle, of change. In the remnants of the first Pali road built in the 1800's, there was history. It's one thing to hike and see the diverse plant life, the amazing waterfalls, hear the birds singing in the trees. It is another thing to see it as it was seen in the past, to understand the significance behind every rock, the importance behind a quiet meadow surrounded by a grove of hundred year old mango trees. It was amazing to experience the view of all of Kane'ohe. I could only imagine what it was like to have looked down upon the bounty of the "bread basket" of Oahu and it's many fishponds and kalo fields...

Today, riding my bike from Coconut Island to the HPU windward campus, my legs were burning and I was sweating like crazy, but I found myself looking at the mountains and thinking, "Wow, I am so unbelievably blessed to live in such a beautiful place!" Since the first day I moved to Oahu a few years ago, I have been continually blown away by the beauty of this island. However, I have realized that the more I have gotten to know this place, it's history, and it's people, the more I want to help protect what it is and to restore some of what it once was. It begins with being educated and continues with the development of respect for its culture, which comes with seeing it through the eyes of those who know it best.

I say, shoot for the moon.

I have owned the film 180 degrees south for a few months now and fell in love with it the first time that I saw it. I love every aspect of it: the culture, the music, the people, the passion. So, I was really excited that we were going to watch it in class. I thought for sure that everyone would be inspired by the premise of the film and would really admire the stories of each character. What surprised me last week was that, not everyone took it that way... Yes, it was beautiful, but was it realistic? A lot of people didn't seem to think so. We can't just all drop everything and go to Patagonia and have this cosmic experience that gives our lives meaning. Or can we?

All that has become of my life and the future that lies ahead of me is based on my wholehearted belief that we can do anything we put our minds to. So dream big. You know the saying, "shoot for the moon. even if you miss, you'll land among the stars"... Well, I believe that's the message 180 degrees south was trying to tell us. Jeff Johnson said, "If I don't get on the boat, I know exactly what I'm going home to. If I do, my future is unwritten." We can choose to remain as we are, going through the motions, or we can choose to face "the fear of the unknown" and chase our dreams, accomplish our goals, change the world. The crew "shot" for the moon, getting to Patagonia to climb Corcovado. In the end, they did not quite reach "the moon", falling 200 meters short of the summit. However, the key was that not only did they get really close, but they recognized how far they had come, that they had "landed among the stars". All that they had experienced had blessed them with a deeper understanding of the connection between people and the natural world around them. It had shown them that in order to survive, and to begin to right the many wrongs we have done and continue to do to the earth, we must find that connection. And it was a message they wanted to share.

So, to those that say it's unrealistic, that you can't preach a mindset of simplicity and sustainability harnessed to aluminum scaffolds with nylon rope, that it isn't enough to walk outside and open your eyes to see the beauty around you, that you can't save the planet by showing the world images of the wild places threatened by economic demands thousands of miles overseas (images shot by a petroleum-fueled helicopter), to those people... I say: Rome wasn't built in a day. Would you say to a recovering drug addict who has recently taken to smoking cigarettes, "Wow, you really shouldn't smoke." True, yes. But we must look at things in the context of their circumstances. Although some might say that smoking is not a healthy alternative, I would say, it is a healthier alternative and transitions take time. Small steps are the most important part of making a change for the better. But it begins with believing that the change is possible and being surrounded by others that believe it too. While aluminum and nylon are not sustainable, they have an immensely smaller impact than the construction to build stairs to climb up the mountain or a road to drive up. While simply seeing the beauty around you may not be a tangible initiative toward environmental government policy, before anyone will make steps toward protecting the earth, they must know it and love it first. And no, helicopter-based imaging is not a zero-emissions undertaking. However, the amount of resources conserved by people who see such images (images they may never have the opportunity to understand otherwise) and are inspired to make changes in their own lives far exceeds the impact of the carbon cost of such a production. It is easy to get overwhelmed by the impossibilities of setting things back into balance, if we choose to take it on. What is difficult is to believe that it is possible, knowing that mistakes will be made, and it won't always be perfect, but every step gets us closer. And every effort leaves us further from where we were before.

You have two options in life, to walk away with your glass half empty or your glass half full. Will you try to change the world, knowing that even if you don't stir the globe, that making a difference in one person's life will still contribute to something bigger that may someday reach the world? or will you settle for things the way that they are because you believe that you are too small to make an impact of any significance, that the world is too far gone? are you too afraid to dream big because you are not sure what will happen "if you miss"? Since "smelling the flowers" isn't actually changing anything... what then? just do nothing? it isn't the crimes to the earth that are the most unjust. It is those of us who see it happening, and do nothing about it because we believe we won't make a difference. So, get on the boat, face the unknown, and try. Who knows, you may "have questions answered you never even thought to ask" (Yvon Chouinard).