Bahía Brillante, Vieques Vibrante: Second Week / La Segunda Semana

Week two started off with a bang. We took the kids in the Mini Manta summer camp to La Finca Caribe, an absolutely gorgeous retreat outside of town. Complete with a swimming pool, mango trees, wrap around deck, ocean views, communal living spaces, and bunk beds for all, it really felt like going away to camp in paradise.

La Finca Caribe

Here's Mark giving the kids a typical, interactive, outdoor lesson about either the solar panels behind him or some type of plant or animal that they found:

Following like little chicks! / Siguiendo como pollitos!

Composting 101 / Una introducción a la compostación


Yum, dinnertime / La cena rica

Always smiling, this girl :) / Siempre con una sonrisa, esa nena.

After swimming, going on a nighttime adventure walk, eating dinner, getting my nails painted sparkly by a couple of the girls, and gazing at the moon through the telescope, the kids and counselors alike were ready to say buenas noches and go to bed. The next morning, we said goodbye to La Finca Caribe and the kids headed off to learn about local farming while I went back to do some work at the trust.

* * *

Already I feel at home here thanks to loving this place from the start, the way that I've been welcomed at the trust, and the friends I've made. Yesterday I was invited by my neighbors to hike to the highest point on the island, called Monte Pirata (Pirate Mountain), so I took my first half-day off and we left in the morning for the climb.

The view from the top / El mirador a la cima de la montaña

The Caribbean and the Atlantic, all in one shot / El Carribe y el Atlántico en la misma foto

That night was also really amazing. Two biologists from the University of Puerto Rico, Brenda and Luis, came to study the bio bay, along with Edgardo who works for the Vieques National Wildlife Refuge, and we all met up up 6pm to prepare for the night of field work.

Things to Bring for a Successful Night of Field Work in the Bio Bay:

1) Several fantastic scientists with a collaborative, positive attitude

2) A handy contraption for collecting water samples at depth

3) A very fancy machine that measures bioluminescent light

4) A device that gets repeatedly thrown overboard to collect water quality data (I got to do that part!)

5) "The Order of the Orca," Mark's trusty little white boat


6) A lifesaver in case anyone decides to go for a spontaneous swim with the dinoflagellates

7) A pontoon boat for carrying all the gear

8) Good weather, not too rainy or windy

9) One world-famous bioluminescent bay, at night

10) Mad science skills

I have known for a long time that I loved biology, but have mostly just worked in labs up to this point; that night, I learned how much I enjoy the hands-on excitement of field work, too!

* * *

After getting back around midnight from our bio bay expedition, we woke up bright and early Thursday morning for Eco-Nautical Day with Mini Manta. Snorkeling, kayaking, swimming, sailing...you name it, we did it! We also caught a lovely little file fish, some medussa worms, and a gigantic sea cucumber for the marine life exhibit, which will be returned to the ocean in two weeks like all the other creatures in the aquarium at the trust.

Mark's very serious lecture about Econautical Day / Una charla muy seria sobre La Día Econautical

A little prep work on the beach to get our five through eight-year-olds snorkeling safely and happily / Preparandonos para snorquelear con los niños

But I have to say, my favorite part of that day was sitting in the boat with the tiniest girl in the whole camp, waiting for Mark to get back with the snorkelers. She had noticed that my Spanish had a long ways to go, so she took the initiative to give me a little Spanish lesson right then and there. She patiently pointed out just about every object within sight, from the bucket next to me to the pier we were tied up to, and told me how to pronounce everything properly. I honestly expanded my nautical vocab quite a lot that afternoon--never underestimate what you can learn from kids! :)

Then came the last day of camp, which among many activities included an archery lesson with Mark.