Submitted by Nicole Benway on the 2018 winter session program in Hawaii sponsored by the Department of Biological Sciences…
This week was jam-packed for us with so many fun and exciting excursions. On Monday, we presented our presentations from when we went to the Bishop Museum and I learned a lot from my classmates about Hawaii’s history, religion, endangered species and housing structures. My group was assigned to Hawaiian daily life and we brought in cookies from the Hawaiian Cookie Company for the class to taste.
Tuesday was our boat excursion to Kaneohe reef. Unfortunately, the weather was not the best, but I still had a great time on the boat with our class and meeting the fun crew members. We took the boat out to the turtle watch area and the water below us was so clear. It was unreal to be able to see every little spot on the coral reef and the green of the water. We were able to easily see the turtles swim underneath us. After that, we went to the reef where we would be snorkeling for the day which was the length of a football field. I was so excited because as soon as I got into the water there was a sea turtle swimming right next to me! It was so amazing to see the creature glide in the water so gracefully.
Wednesday was our trip to the Polycultural center which was informative and fun. We had to start our research for our next presentation for which every group is assigned to a different Polynesian region. Conveniently, my group got Hawaii again! I was really happy to learn more about the games Hawaiians used to play and what they built their homes out of. We also watched a show and learned that the popular hula dance is actually a story being told through dance. I was very thankful for this day because I really felt like I was connecting with the Hawaiian culture.
Thursday, we checked out two tide pool locations and I saw different species of little fish, hermit crabs and snails. My professor taught us that smaller fish love living in tide pools because they have a much better chance of surviving. I had never been to a tide pool before nor did I exactly know what it was, so I really enjoyed learning all about them.
Finally, on Friday, we had to wake up super early to go on a six mile hike to observe some animals. The first animal we got to see at the end of the hike was an albatross. I never knew what an albatross looked like, but they are big white birds that kind of look like seagulls. We were warned earlier that they can come on beaches and will steal your food if backpacks are left opened. The other animal we saw that day were seals. They were so cute laying out in the sun and we got to watch them wiggle their way back towards the water.
Overall, this week was pretty awesome to say the least. I learned so much about Hawaii’s culture and the animals that live here on this island as well as the species that make their way to the island. I can’t believe my program is already half-way over. As much as I miss home, I do not want to leave this beautiful and peaceful island.
