And...I'm Off

Well I'm off to Miami tomorrow en route to Key West and then on the Marquesas, so I won't be posting another blog entry until August 28th at the earliest. However, when I do post my next entry, I should have some good stuff to share after a week of tagging sharks.

Hope to come back with all of my limbs intact...

Shark Tagging Cruise Details

Finally getting some more details about the cruise to the Marquesas. We'll be tagging lemon sharks (see pic to the left) at night. The schedule looks to be something like this:

August 21: Cast off from Key West to Marquesas in early a.m., set nets in lagoon and tag during night.

August 22: Repeat night-tagging. During day, fish for bigger sharks on the flats. Look for horseshoe crabs (separate DNA study).

August 23: Repeat night-tagging. Continue collecting bigger sharks during day.

August 24: Repeat night-tagging.

August 25: Repeat night-tagging. Continue collecting bigger sharks during day.

August 26: Last night of fishing.

August 27: Stow equipment, leave Marquesas by noon. Post-cruise party in Key West.

August 28: Return to Miami.

So, it's going to be a lot of work at odd hours, mostly through the night. But it should be quite an experience.

Countdown is On

Originally, I was supposed to fly to Bimini today in something like this ridiculously teeny tiny airplane here. However, now that I'll be going on this cruise to the Marquesas first, I'm here in Boca Raton for an extra five days or so.

Yesterday afternoon, I drove down to Miami to pick up two of the other volunteers, Julia (from Scotland/Finland) and Valentina (from Italy). We all stayed at my house in Boca last night, and this morning I drove to the airport in Ft. Lauderdale. Not THE Ft. Lauderdale airport, of course, but a smaller executive airport, for these ridiculously small planes.

Most of the group of volunteers was there, so there were introductions all around. Dr. Gruber came and gave a general game-plan, and "only" an hour later than scheduled, the flights were off.

Doc said my plan should be to remain in Boca until Friday morning, when I should head down to his house in Miami to help with last-minute preparations for the cruise. Things finally appear to be coming in to focus: I'll stay in Miami Friday night, drive down to the boat in Key West on Saturday, stay on the boat Saturday night, and head out for the Marquesas on Sunday. We'll get back to Key West on Saturday the 27th, and will fly to Bimini on Monday the 29th (I think!).