Day 6 (4/1)  -- by Noa and Lulia 

Our sixth day was filled with adventure, bats, and sharks! We woke up at 6:45 and headed on a speed walk to Triangle Cove, one of the best spots to jump off the rocks in South Eleuthera. As we marched (to the tune of a repeat-after-me-song about muffins led by Bianca) the sun began to rise over the ocean. We were reminded of how lucky we were to be on this beautiful island, immersed in the tropical ecosystems and participating in an intentional, sustainable community.

After breakfast, we squished into the vans for our South Eleuthera Road Trip (SERT). Our first stop was Boiling Point, an ocean hole and cave system. In contrast to the sunny blue skies above us, the caves we explored were damp and cool—and filled with bats. It was so cool to see these ancient limestone rock formations and the organisms they support. The next natural phenomenon we visited was a banyan tree, which is a sprawling tree got started by strangling another tree. We took some time here to pull out the roots of burgeoning casuarina trees, which are invasive and harmful for the native plants on the Island.

Then we headed to another ocean hole for lunch: sandwiches, fruit, banana chips, and a game of dominoes. It felt meaningful to participate in a game so integral to Bahamian culture. Local friends taught us how to play and then proceeded to destroy us with their skills. A few of us also took the chance to jump into the ocean hole—which was six hundred feet at its deepest point! 

Our afternoon was all about sharks. We listened to a fascinating and myth-busting presentation and then we drove over to the marina to see them for ourselves. The nurse and bull sharks were lured by hacked pieces of lionfish tossed into the water. We got to see a mutualistic symbiotic relationship between the sharks and remora fish; remoras latch onto the former for protection and help the sharks by eating debris that would otherwise irritate them.

We wrapped up this action-packed day with some reflection and guided meditation. We learned about a type of mindful breathing called “square breath” and engaged in a peaceful visualization. This was a calming way to end the day and think about all we had learned thus far on the trip, from what it means to live sustainably to immersing ourselves in Bahamian culture and ecology. 




Moring circle time -- 6:45am!


Morning "speed walk" 






Breakfast 


Friends 


Visiting a big cave 








The gigantic banyan tree 






Sharks in the harbour -- Don't worry, we were at a very safe distance from them









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