Stingrays, Turtles, Lionfish and Junkanoo in The Parking Lot
Today was full of excitement, wonder, laughter and everything in between. To be honest, everyone thought the day would be about tanning and snorkelling; instead, it was a day nothing like that. It was a day we will never forget, a day to cherish forever.
We started off next to the crystal-clear water at Paradise Cove with people from the community eager to share their love of the ocean. Everyone was ready to learn, ask questions, and open doors to a world none of us had entered. As we were all excited to enter the water, we put on our snorkel gear, which, if we do say so ourselves, we have become experts at. Each step into the water was like entering a new world. Thankfully, with the help of Dr. J and our handy mental checklist, we were able to explore this new world around us with both confidence and wonder. Checking each item off, the first species we saw were schools of fish. Each fish had its own personality while swimming away from us. Then two of the most amazing things occurred, as we were lucky enough to see a stingray with a fish chasing it across the ocean floor. We asked Dr. J what this meant since we had seen nothing like it, and he explained to us how they follow behind so they can get a free dinner, since sting rays are very messy eaters. We would never have thought the fish was there for that reason. We continued to swim, passing conches, sea biscuits, and so many jellyfish. Remarkably, when seeing this many jellyfish, we also encountered sea turtles. They were having a feast as we watched them chomping away at every jellyfish in sight. First, it was one turtle, then within seconds, there were three, each more magical than the other. This was only a glimpse of what our day was soon to hold.
Continuing on with our day at Paradise Cove, or what some call Deadman’s Reef, we had the privilege of dissecting lion fish that were speared by Dr. J in the canal near his home. This demonstrated how large these fish populations really are. Lion fish provide little value to the coral reefs, as they are invasive species. It truly was an amazing experience when dissecting something we had discussed so much about, as well as something we saw while snorkelling on a previous day. The activity brought lots of precision and laughter, as we proceeded to dissect hearts, eyeballs, and even smaller fish from the lion fish stomachs. Lion fish are great for dissecting, and here in the Bahamas, they are also seen as a great food source. Barry was an awesome gentleman we met who owns Paradise Cove. He showed us the proper way to fillet a lion fish. Learning is something we did lots of today, and there was never a dull moment, as we also got to meet a man named Uncle Keith from West End Ecology Tours. He shared his love for sting rays, filling our minds with wonder and questions on why our side of the world sees these creatures as scary. Uncle Keith was lovely to talk to, and I know if we all could, we would still be talking to him now. It’s hard to believe that our day still has many more adventures to come. Barry took us to learn about Paradise Cove’s reef ball system. Out in the yard, he shared with us why they are important, which is because they add a place for coral larvae to land, giving them a higher survival rate. These reef balls have a unique shape, size, and texture, so they can thrive in the water. Reef balls are something I know we had never heard of until now, and they piqued our curiosity as well as created hope when learning about them. Barry, Dr. J, and Uncle Keith were so incredibly gracious by taking their time to teach us and share their passion and knowledge about the world they live in.
Speaking of things not everyone gets to experience, we were lucky enough, thanks to Bear (Brian), our bus driver to experience a core memory. Junkanoo is a tradition here in the Bahamas full of community, song, dance and friendliness. We arrived at the Platinum Knights public rehearsal with no idea of what we were about to experience. At first, it was intimidating to enter a community you don’t feel that you belong in. Within minutes, people were talking to us and sharing what part they played in the group, who they were and how they wanted us to live this moment to the fullest. When it was time to begin the rehearsal, they went into their positions, music began to play, and it was as if a wave of joy passed by and our hearts filled with happiness as the people danced with pride around the parking lot. Our bodies begin to fill with music as our hips begin to sway, and our bodies moved to the beat. The lady we were talking to before saw this and pulled us into the group. We didn’t know the moves or the people around us, but that didn’t stop them from including us. We learned to clap on beat; we moved our hips with those around us and became part of a beautiful moment. This was a core memory, a moment we will always remember.
The moments that people here in the Bahamas took to spend with us today were something special. They included us and made us feel important, and brought joy into everything they did. They chose to spend their time sharing their love and interests with us instead of being with their families. It was something they didn’t have to do; this is a great example of what a family this community is. A place to which we want to return.
