Location: Admiralty Bay, Bequia
Waking up in Bequia, the air was cool and misty, which was in contrast to the past few previous stops on our journey. With dark clouds moving in and scattered showers, we enjoyed a cozy breakfast down below in our dry pajamas. This morning, we had fresh fruit with yogurt, granola, toast, and jam. After breakfast cleanup, I hosted a seamanship study hall session to prepare for the students’ IYT International Crew Course certifying exam in about ten days from now! This exam will cover things like sail handling, boat safety, emergency procedures, and more. Afterward, Ben gave a marine biology lecture on arthropods and echinoderms, which was followed up with a bit more free time to work on classwork before lunch. For lunch, the chefs (Rocco, Evan, and Alev) prepared rice bowls with black beans, refried beans (a Rocco specialty), and lots of veg. After lunch, we continued on with a more Bequia-specific activity. For those who do not know, whaling is engrained in Bequia’s culture. Each year, the Bequian people are given a maximum quota of 4 whales to be hunted for cultural practice. The meat is distributed throughout the community, and the bones are carved into artwork. This afternoon, we debated the merits of Bequian whaling from the perspectives of environmental organizations (like Green Peace and Sea Shepards) and local whalers and community members. Ultimately, we concluded that the topic is complicated and multifaceted- taking into account cultural significance and environmental concerns. Afterward, we prepared for a fun dive led by Evan as part of his Dive Master candidacy. Evan did a great job leading his first dive. I joined the dive as well and saw a really funny-looking fish, which, after describing it to Heather, I learned was a spotted drum. Zoe took some great photos on her GoPro, which we will include in this post! After the dive, we continued on with our nightly rituals- ocean showers, sunset dinner, squeeze, and clean up! We go to bed looking forward to a fun day exploring the town tomorrow. Cheers!