Submitted by Brooke Gaenzle on the 2024 Winter CIEG program in Barbados…
This past week started with exploring the local area and diving into our classes, but soon things became a little chaotic when my phone broke! I’m not going to lie to you, a broken phone in a country you don’t know is not ideal. But it allowed for me to be able to travel to a nearby town and explore the stores, searching for a tech repair shop. I was welcomed by many employees who not only helped me on my phone-fixing journey, but also gave me lots of tips on where to visit.
I’ve learned a bit more about the coastal ecosystem and economy of Barbados as well. We had two guest speakers this week, who explained to us how Barbados relies on the coasts to generate money from tourism and fishing and how a major project is underway to develop a marine management plan. It’s so cool to learn more about Barbados and compare it to Delaware’s economy and lifestyle. One thing that was extremely interesting and very different from the United States is that all of Barbados’ beaches are privately owned but publicly used. This totally blew my mind because I could not imagine this working on the beaches near home, since private property is usually closed off.
It’s been so great being able to explore the coast myself and see the concepts I’m learning in class in the ocean that’s right behind us. Learning about how waves refract, shoal, and bend around break waters even helped me find better sweet spots while surfing! The biodiversity in the coral reef is so abundant as well. Through snorkeling, I’ve been able to see needlefish, white marlon, and schools of 100s of fish. You can also see all of the different types of corals and sea sponges. (Submitted on January 13, 2024)
