Monday Sept 12, 2016

    I was a bit remiss in blogging last night. I was to enthralled with watching out my favorite window. I really sat there until about 2 this morning watching the sea life. As usual, Some really cool things popped in for a goodbye visit.

This is Burt (a goliath grouper)

and this is Chloe ( a lion fish)

    But back to the beginning of the day! This morning the habitat started to look different. Almost all of of personal clothes and electronics were bagged to go in pressurized containers for transport to the surface. Kind of sad. We got ready for our last full day of diving  of the mission. As we were talking, we realized that we ]really have not seen the sun in a week. Yes we have light down here but we all decided that we kind of missed that big fiery ball. 

      I wanted to get back to the hab on time because I had a special Google Hangout video call with all of my school. But science waits on no one! There was still measurements to take and new bait to put out. So we went out and did science!

Aline measuring vegetation left after the fish had 2 hours to nibble

Ben measuring rugosity levels

Frances measuring  vegetation in the various quadrants of the sample site. 

And you ask what do I gt to do? Well I help as much as possible. Usually carrying equipment and helping Ben measure areas and collecting the sea grass left overs in sample bags.. But most importantly I get to take pictures. Usually, they are so busy working no one records what great work they are accomplishing. Usually I am very tired by the end of six hours diving and working. Remember that these tanks along weigh 120 pounds, plus the equipment! Ben did get a picture of me taking a break sitting on one of the guide ropes at the end of the last dive. I kind of like this picture!

As usual we saw some really cool wildlife on our dives.

A hab creature!

When we finished the morning dive I got to make the video chat I have been waiting to have. The one with my entire school! I also had a very special announcement for one of the teachers. I got to show all my kids terh habitat and what we are doing down here as well as help out Mrs. Schroder. 

 

Special announcement from a nurse shark!

What was really neat is that Ben soo wanted to be part of it as well. 

   I usually give about 4-5 tours a day to classes through Skype or Google Hangouts. In fact, I have become very friendly with Jesse who is the man running Explore by the Seat of Your Pants.    http://www.exploringbytheseat.com/  Chisholm Elementary scholl is going to get to participate in a lot of virtual field trips to places ..almost.. as exciting as the Aquarius habitat. :) 

    

    

 We played with the permit fish that live under the habitat. They are so big, but so fast!

Back in the hab I did get to watch one of my favorite fish. While sharks and manta rays are so cool. I soo love these little trunk fish. This guy was eating at our window. I just HAD to video him. In fact, earlier today when we had some dive time left after a mission, I followed one around for about 15 minutes just watching him.

Also outside the window the coral starts to come out. It looks like little flowers right outside my window.

Which brings us full circle to me sitting by myself at 2 AM while everyone is sleeping, watching out my window. I love this seat. I wonder how I can take it home??? I am SURE Burt wants to come! Cn I keep him ??? Pleaseeee?? I promise to take care of him!