Location: Direction Island, Cocos Keeling Aus.
For some of us, the day began at 4:20 am with a sunrise dive. Ava, Hannah, Juliette, Amanda M, Charlie, and I plunged into the dark waters from the deck of Argo and made our way out to a nearby reef. At first, there was very little life to be seen, but as the sun rose over the horizon, the reef came alive once more. Despite being exhausted from the Challenge Course yesterday, it was a worthwhile experience for us, as well as our last requirement for Advanced Open Water diving (yay!). For others, the day began with me running through the hallways and yelling into each cabin that there was a pod of dolphins checking out Argo. Unsurprisingly, the prospect of swimming with dolphins before breakfast was enough to get people up and moving. We carefully made our way into the water and paddled out to meet them. The dolphins took an interest in us, too, and swam all around, chirping and clicking. To put a capstone on the (so far) perfect morning, Bodhi prepared a breakfast of crepes, which were absolutely delicious. After our regular cleanup, the first main activity of the day was boat appreciation, featuring new sheets, cleaning topsides, and a special Clayson removal unit (which failed, as they all have). Despite boat appreciation sounding rather unexciting, it is actually a very fun task. Many of us, staff and students alike look forward to it. Some honorable mentions for cleaning include Amanda D, who cleaned most of the galley and is undefeated at “marrying” provisions. Ainsley, Bodhi, and Ava, who carefully scrubbed the entire outside of Argo.
After lunch, the crew split up into our research teams to gather data out on the reef. There was a moderate current along with wind and rain, but it was still quite fun anyway, and most teams were successful in collecting the desired data. This data is essential for our research projects, and we have to collect everything before getting underway in a few days. Fortunately, the beautiful reefs of Cocos Keeling are excellent for gathering field data. In addition to research collection, Philip completed several more requirements for his Divemaster certification (way to go!). Eventually, everyone made their way back to Argo to relax or analyze their findings before dinner. It was another exhausting day, to be sure, but a productive and satisfying one. Tomorrow, we intend to head to Home Island, which is a small town. The crew is very hyped to go to the “supermarket” to buy more snacks for the big passage. It remains to be seen how that will pan out. Overall, it was just another normal day on Argo, which is to say, nothing less than amazing. Best, Travis P, Skipper P.S. Shoutout RFTI and friends, I miss y’all a ton and can’t wait to get back into it when I return. P.S.S. No number is gonna make it easier, but if my math is right, 40%. I love you 🙂