Location: Fare, Huahine, French Polynesia
Waking up to the job of skipper (one of many jobs we are assigned daily) is very peaceful. Among the responsibilities, we are tasked with waking everyone up at 7 am, which means we are oftentimes among the first few awake. Fortunately, people don’t put up too much of a fight anymore because they know by now they will lose. After waking up and eating our breakfast at 7:30, we went over what seemed like an extremely action-packed day. Half of the students were going to our first marine biology lab, while the other half were going to bike around the island of Huahine. Those who went biking left Argo around 9 am and started their 9km workout. (You’ll hear more about that tomorrow as I was part of the group doing the lab).
Those doing the lab started our journey when the dinghies returned, and we grabbed our snorkeling gear and headed towards the coral reef just beyond our boat. During this lab, we surveyed the area to count the types of fish, conditions the coral was in, and any sort of debris that might exist. Once we finished up around noon, we headed onshore to explore the bustling metropolis of Fare, Huahine. By this, of course, I mean the six buildings in a row and one main road that connected them all together. We always have a good time during our shore visits, whether it is finding a delicious package of off-brand Oreos or getting some tasty fish from a food truck. There were also a couple of shops where a couple of us purchased gifts for those back home (Don’t worry, Mom, I didn’t forget). Around 2 pm, the bikers returned from their ride, and we explored the shore together. We were back on Argo by 4:30, just in time to hide from the impending rain. The rest of the day was spent studying for our upcoming Marine Biology exam or filling out our Fish ID booklets.
We wrapped up once again with our family dinner and our squeeze question. If we haven’t explained this yet, after dinner, there is always one question that the skipper will make up, and everyone on the boat will give their answer. The question can be funny, serious, deep, or light-hearted, but regardless it is always a favorite.
Going to bed under the stars of the south pacific and the mystic islands few people will travel has yet to disappoint, and it reminds each of us of the amazing opportunities we are exposed to.
P.S. Mom, Dad, and Harrison – Don’t get mad if I accidentally miss my plane ride back and stay a couple of extra months.