After yoga, we were greeted by a delicious breakfast prepared by Mooch that consisted of eggs, corned beef hash, and English muffins. We then prepared ourselves for our Fish ID Extravaganza where we went back to the first reef we snorkeled, Fourth Hole, and had a friendly competition to see which pair could identify the most fishes and invertebrate species. We biked to Fourth Hole and then spent about an hour and a half snorkeling the reef. This snorkel was monumental for many of us as we realized the amount of knowledge that we have gained over the past two weeks – many of us were able to identify at least 50 species of fishes and invertebrates!
A scrawled cowfish!
Following our snorkel, we returned to campus to eat lunch and then observe and assist on a shark dissection. The shark that we dissected was a Big-Eyed 6 Gill; this type of shark lives at about 600 meters in the ocean. We began by cutting the fish open and examining its liver which consists of about 1/3 of the shark’s body weight. We also got to examine the contents of the shark’s stomach which contained a Yellow Stingray and a Bonita Fish. During the dissection, numerous students got to assist by cutting various parts of the shark and taking samples of muscle tissues. It was amazing to see the intricacy of the shark’s body and how its anatomy has adapted to its deep-water environment.
After our shark experience, we had a meeting with Chris Maxey who is the founder of the Island School and also led our run-swim. He gave us insight into his reasoning for starting the Island School and what his goal is for the school and the students. Following our conversation with Chris Maxey, we began our Deep Clean where we packed up all our belongings and extensively cleaned our dorms.
Our final dinner circle consisted of sharing our best moments throughout our trip which led to many realizations of the great times we have had during the past two weeks. We then entered our final dish crew, which involved tons of singing and dancing, and then proceeded to have an amazing dinner of Salisbury steak and potatoes. We then went back to the dorms to present our secret Santa gifts, which spread the holiday cheer. It was fun to see the creativity in each handmade gift and was a kind reminder of the true friendships that have formed throughout this trip.
Next we went down to the beach to have our last campfire; we all sat in a circle and sang campfire songs while roasting marshmallows. It was great to have one final moment together to reflect on our incredible experience at the Island School. As a last moment on our trip, we all piled into the Pres Room to watch a video put together by Ms. Post that included many fantastic pictures of our journey on Eleuthera.
We would like to thank the amazing teachers and staff that taught us so much during these few weeks, and we will never forget the fantastic place that is the Island School and the breathtaking island of Eleuthera. See you tomorrow!
Evan and Emily
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