Over winter break I was fortunate enough to travel abroad to Bimini, Bahamas, and visit the Bimini Biological Field Station or the Shark Lab!
They are a non-profit focused on researching sharks and rays and educating local populations about sustainable fisheries. They also are an outreach organization that helps teach about sharks in general and how important they are for ecosystems.
While I was there, we swam with black tip, black nose, lemon, nurse, hammerhead, and tiger sharks. We also cage dove with bull sharks. We also swam with rays. We saw turtles and hermit craps (my favorite). We collected shells on the beach. We also got to learn about the history and culture of the islands and how Martin Luther King Jr. played a role in the segregation and liberation of the black population in the islands. We visited North Bimini and saw a place called the Dolphin House (look it up, it's nuts) built by hand by a man who was influential in the fight for desegregation. We also visited a local bread shop, local stores, and a local hotel that is locally operated, and we learned about the resort on the island.
The researchers at the lab presented us with their research and we were able to learn about numerous areas of study happening with the lab. I am a person who thinks in systems, and I love to know how things interconnect. The value of seeing how these small pieces of a marine ecosystem fit into the large puzzle is astonishing. I loved learning about how the smallest plant in a seagrass bed is influential to the largest sharks. I also am a lover of hermit crabs and seeing them in their natural environment was amazing, especially when they changed shells.
I would encourage students to take every opportunity to study abroad no matter what the specific focus may be. Although this experience was focused on marine ecology, I also learned about history, culture, and government. I also made lasting friendships with people I would not have met otherwise, and I connected more with faculty and researchers. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience to travel and learn and become submerged in a new culture and space. I have a better appreciation for aspects of my culture, but I can also look at practices through another lens and try to decipher how that may affect another group of people.
Overall, I have a little part of my heart stolen by the island community and culture. I hope to visit again and ensure that my visit is giving back to the local community and those who are native Bahamians. This was an amazing experience that I will cherish for years to come!
