Location: Durban, South Africa
Today, like most days, began with a bit of an early start with a filling breakfast and a lightning-fast cleanup that was dotted with the usual wisecracks of the early morning, especially when there is a bit of rain. After breakfast, we all piled into a taxi which brought us to a shark information center, where we were taught all about the shark nets which blanket the beach region of South Africa. South Africa is known for its sharks, so there is a very large effort to learn more about the sharks as well as protect the shoreline from their possible attacks. The most interesting part of the day was the chance to watch a large hammerhead shark being dissected. We got to see, touch as well as smell the partially digested contents of the shark’s stomach, the large sheet-like intestines, as well as the very dense oily liver. After the very interesting shark dissection, we went to the local mall, which was very interesting to see the influence that American malls have on the rest of the world. All in all, it was a great day filled with some of the usual as well as some interesting activities.