Hey everyone! It’s Andrea, Islay, and Sonja again! Today was a very exciting day of munching, napping, ferry-ing, swimming, mutilating marshmallows, looking at plankton, and so much more! I hope you enjoy hearing about it!
We got some extra time to sleep in today, but nobody slept in except for Ana. The morning was very chill though it was super hot out. We all woke up, ate breakfast, and then watched Moana. Somebody probably did laundry, but I didn’t ask.
Look at this pretty view. It is so pretty and a view. Photo taken by Andrea.
After getting ready in the morning, we got some time to work on our independent projects. A few of us went out on a boat to go to Lopez Island. At Lopez island, we surveyed for sea stars and looked around on the rocks. It was super interesting though we had to watch out not to get sunburnt!
Decked out in hats, shades, and sunscreen, we (the people not on the boat) took a trip to the ocean survey zone at Friday Harbor Labs. We collected samples of plankton with nets, containers, and other various lab materials. After scooping them up with tiny spoons, we crouched over the dishes of plankton with our microscopes. By the end of the observation and identification session, we were all beautifully adorned with dents from the rocky concrete. Nevertheless, it was worth it since we got to see various spots and dots that the adults promised were actually animals.
Once everyone regrouped later in the afternoon, we all decided to head down to Jackson’s Beach. As we walked into the water, we were all shocked by the cold, and yet we all stayed inside for a solid ten minutes. Seth decided to swim to another island. He was successful! Resting in the sun was a good way to warm up. We listened to music and looked at the passing dogs and people with cool tattoos. Some people got a good swim, while others, like me, watched and relaxed.
Say “apostichopus californicus!” Pictured are Madi, Abby, Islay, Colette and Ana.
Four hours at the beach was a lot, so we decided to head back to the dorms. We started to make hot dogs in the oven and ate them around the fire. Kira, being the special person she is, decided to roast her hotdog in the fire. Good for her. Craving something sweet, we all decided it was a great idea to make some s’mores.
It was such a great time for most of us except Sonja. She got smoke in her eyes. She’s ok now… I think.
Lighting everything on fire. Photo by Islay.
Overall, the day was a blast! It was nice to get some time to relax after spending so much time being scientists this past week. We also really enjoyed working on our independent projects and bonding with each other. I really like smores. Go make some. Thanks for reading!
