Today we went snorkeling to a really cool place called Mangrove Island. I can
see Mangrove Island from my room at the School for Field Studies, and it
looks like a lonely sandbar with a bunch of trees on it. We took a boat there,
and some of us students even got to drive it!
When we arrived, we anchored the boat and jumped into the water. We
snorkeled around the area while our instructor pointed out interesting marine
organisms. It is so much fun to go to class in the ocean. Later, we actually
walked right out of the water onto the island that is the home of the mangrove
trees. We learned that there are three different types of these trees, and we
actually saw each of the red, white, and black mangroves. Did you know that if
you taste the leaves of a mangrove tree it is salty? That’s because the
mangroves use the ocean water to live, and what is one of the main
components of ocean water?.That’s right...salt!
Back in the water we saw a lot of little critters that live in the area. Because the
mangroves live there, many of other plants and animals want to live on or near
the island too. Conch, crabs, and sea cucumbers to name a few. So, the little
island that I thought was boring and deserted was actually the home of not only
the mangroves, but to many other creatures as well.
Water Rescue Training
Joe Chojnacki
We continued our scuba and snorkel orientation today. Despite the warm
water here, a lot of us got cold since we were in the water for so long today.
But this was our first day diving, so just being in the water was enough. We
were taught basic rescue skills so that we would know what to do in an
emergency. Since we'll be spending a lot of time in the water, it's pretty
comforting stuff to know, even though the better trained staff will usually be on
hand.
First we were taught how to help someone if they're exhausted from swimming.
The basic idea is to talk to them, calm them down, keep them afloat, and help
them swim to safety. When helping a panicking victim, though, you have to be
careful that they don't put you in any danger, so to help them, you approach
them from behind. After learning these basic skills we moved on to more
complicated situations.
When a person is unconscious, the rescue is much more difficult. First, you
have to make sure his/hers face is above water. After calling for help, you then
remove yours and his/her bulky equipment and swim him/herto safety, all while
giving them mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. To top it all off, we learned how to
drag someone from the bottom the surface , pull them into the boat and
administer oxygen.
I think you can see why we were in the water so long. It was definitely worth it,
though. I feel much more confident about diving during these next few months.
