Tropical Marine Biology Belize 2024 - Day #3 - Who Can the Weather Command?

Sunday January 21st, 2024 - Tropical Research Education Center, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize

Today was a reminder of who is REALLY in charge of this trip. Is it professors Geoff and Eric? Is it Captain Dr. Ken? No, it's Mother Nature! And she decided to remind us of that fact today...

We gathered for our becoming-routine 8AM breakfast at TREC as the rain fell and a breeze blew. I wasn't too concerned; this being in the tropics, rain often alternates with the bright sunshine. We had our goal for the day: to test our the methodologies that the students had developed the night before for assessing the health and biodiversity of the reefs. We had a method in place, the gear to accomplish it, and the intention to work out the kinks in the field. But as we made our way along the short walk to the boat, the weather became darker and more foreboding: 

Hoping for the best, we boarded Goliath and set out for our longest venture north of the week, to a marine reserve site called Mexico Rocks, just a mile or so from the Mexican border:

The wind picked up, the visibility reduced, and we hunkered down as strong winds and vertical rain swept across the ship:

Soon afterward, Captain Dr. Ken and Maureen made the call that visibility had become too low for safe passage:

So we dropped anchor to wait it out. We ended up staying in that spot for about an hour, with some students braving the elements and others gathered within the interior cabin:

When things had calmed down a little bit, Ken, Geoff and Eric collectively decided that our best course of action was to turn back toward the dock and find a site there. We first stopped at Tres Cocos (where we had been yesterday) but the whitecaps in the lagoon and a test by our guide Carlos in the water proved that the currents were just too strong. So we continued on to Tuffy reef, the closest to the dock. Geoff and Eric tested out the conditions and decided that the stronger snorkelers would be okay. We wouldn't be able to work on the lab (the idea of carrying equipment around in the current seemed unwise) but we could at least check out the reef. Eric and guide Julius led a group of 5 intrepid snorkelers to the reef:

Guide Carlos followed with another 2. Once we entered the reef itself, it was like a protected cove and we were to spot and enjoy the biodiversity. Several students spotted stingrays of three different species, as well as parrotfish and a sea anemone:

At dinner that night, I said how proud I was of three groups of students: (1) Those who decided to visit the reef despite the conditions, (2) those who knew themselves well enough to avoid getting into trouble, and (3) those who tried it but quickly realized that the conditions were too far outside their comfort zones and turned back. Everyone made the right decision for themselves - good job students!

After enjoying our traditional post-snorkel chips and warm bean dip and chicken salad sandwiches:

We made it back to the dock and after significant maneuvering by Captain Ken, safely disembarked just as the weather kicked up again with heavy rain and strong winds:

Thus humbled, we walked back to TREC to salvage our day.

One of the most important qualities in international travelers is a willingness to be flexible. Accordingly, we shifted our expectations for the day. The students gathered at TREC to work on their lab posters (mostly the background and methods section) and to use the TREC pool to test out and refine their methodologies:

By dinnertime, the weather had calmed a bit, and all students had made significant progress on their work. After a particularly-well-received dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and freshly-baked rolls, we met briefly to discuss our projects. And then the benefit of our rejiggered schedule: the students had the night off to immerse themselves in some local Belizean night life culture. Eric led a group to a nearby location on the beach, and we enjoyed each other's company and the local flavors before walking home (again in a hard rain) along the beach.

Overall, the weather made today a bit challenging, but everyone remained in good spirits, rose to that challenge, and faced the day with the appropriate level of "It is what it is" attitude. Hopefully their hard work today will reap dividends tomorrow in terms of well-established techniques for gathering data (the goal of our next two days). But as we've learned, it is only a certain Mother who knows what we can and cannot accomplish tomorrow!

Everyone is healthy and happy, working hard and doing well. We should all be proud of our NEC students.

Best wishes from Belize,

Eric