Heron Island: A Dream

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Heron Island was THE BESTTT. Our group spent a week tanning on the beach and snorkeling. And the crazy thing was - that was class. I had a "research" project where my team had to dive to the bottom of the ocean floor to measure the rugosity of corals and count the number of dascyllus aruanus fish species there. But really, that meant some chill snorkel time and moments spent out of a classroom. Life really can't get better than that.

I once woke up at 5:30am for a morning snorkel out on the jetti. The wetsuits hung dry and ready for us on the racks by the bathroom. I'm pretty sure I never used the same snorkel twice - ew. We saw dolphins, sharks, rays, giant sea turtles, bahjillions of fish, and a floating platyhelminthe (flatworm)! The holothurians (sea cucmbers) were pretty boring. We went out to the reef flats, shark bay, and the harbor - every day we saw something new.

Some of the greatest moments were waking up to Maggie's delicious oatmeal with cinnamin sugar, candied fruits, and granola. The woman knew how to cook but she was pretty scary and intimidating. We weren't allowed to leave the table until our plates were scraped clean. She yelled at us a lot - I was in trouble from wanting a skewer of "beef". She forced me to eat chicken. But, I must say, her desserts were heavenly. I am going to miss those morning and afternoon teas.

The whole crew went on a night snorkel Saturday with glow sticks rubber-banded to our snorkels and waterproof flashlights in hand. The water was surprisingly warm! We saw a massive turtle by the shipwreck. The coolest part was looking out into the ocean at different groups casting a glow in the complete darkness.

To finish off the trip, we got to see an incredible sunset and visit our professor's resort. Everyone dressed up, ordered drinks, and sat on the beach under the stars. I really miss this place and would kill to go back. Being there "in class" was unreal. It was a dream.

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Photos

Straight off the boat
Setting foot on Heron

To the reef
Ready to snorkel

Floating with friends
Catching our breath.

Got our gear
Wetsuits are on.

Action shot
Trying to stay underwater - wetsuits were pretty bouyant.

On the reef flat
Asian peace signs. Because we can.

The sunset
What better way to end the trip.

The Crew
Watching the sun go down.