Location: Bequia
Ahoy, mateys, it’s cyber Space Crewman Chris here trying my hand at being skipper on a beautiful day in Bequia. The day started out like any other, with a 7:15 wake-up call and 7:30 breakfast. After feasting on some cereal and grapefruit (which we have a ton of after pillaging Dominica ), we started the clean-up and preparations for our knowledge Reviews and Oceanography class. Today, we went over the wonders of wreck diving: all the dos and don’ts, cants, and won’ts. This was important because a lucky few were going to get to go diving on a wreck today while the rest of us got to explore the island of Bequia. Still, first, we had to learn about ocean geology, the wonders of plate tectonics, and the internal makeup of the Earth. After we became experts on the ocean floor, we set out to learn a little about one of the sea’s most peaceful and important creatures, Sea Turtles. Our teacher for this was the colorful character known simply as Brother King. He is a kind old man who, after a lifetime of making his living hunting Sea Turtles he, decided to try and save the species that he saw being decimated before his very eyes. He told us of the many important purposes sea turtles play in the ocean, mainly feeding on coral-killing algae and swimmer-stinging Jellies. After we learned all about the gentle guardians of the sea and what this one man was doing to save a species, we set off in search of more adventure, but mainly lunch. Most of us decided to try and taste the local cuisine and went around the town searching for food; some chose pizza, some chose rotis, but we all chose something delicious. After lunch, those who were diving today went back to Argo to set up their dive gear and go over the dive plan. The rest of us explored Bequia, finding little shops and stands full of souvenirs. We all came back to the boat, and we were elated to see that the laundry that we had sent out this morning had come back freshly dried and warm. After we unloaded our clean clothes, the crew was visited by another one of the many Caribbean characters, Willie the Whaleman. Like Pancho and Sea Cat, Willie had something unique to show us and give us; not a boiling lake or amazing fruit tour, but something just as interesting and rare as whalebone jewelry. We scoured his wares, each of us finding our own little memento. After he packed up all his jewelry, it was about time for dinner. Delicious pasta and sauce courtesy of Capn Wildcat and Jake. Now, it is time for our first MTE Nav Master course. Following will be some cram time because we all have our second marine bio paper due tomorrow night, and in the excitement of the last few days, some of us have forgotten to start, but that is just half the fun of living aboard Argo. One minute, you’re hacking your way through the rainforest, and the next, you’re hacking your way through your paper all in a day’s work for an Argonaut. Signing Off Chris Monkey Wrench Atkin