From the drive-way, the Bimini Biological Field Station looks just like a regular house with two SUVs parked in front and a view of the mangroves...but then you notice the plastic hammerhead mounted beside the front door. If you were even to just take a peak on the inside, it’d be hard to miss that the lab has been preserving over 20 years of data on sharks here in the Bahama Islands.
It is required to go miles offshore and observe these animals in their natural habitat. And while on the lookout for sharks, you begin to observe the other beautiful fauna that are inhabiting our Bahamian waters. Last week, I went nurse shark wrangling. Being able to free-dive to find juvenile and neonate nurse sharks is an interesting experience, but that’s not the only thing to be observed near ledges.
Mantis shrimp, scorpion fish, and even flounders (which are pretty abnormal yet fascinating for having both eyes on one side of its body) can be seen from just one ledge. Angelfish, grunts, and snappers all can be seen just a mile or two off the south shore of South Bimini. I’ve been able to observe Southern stingrays, spiny lobsters, coral, moray eels, hawksbill turtles, barracuda, and luminescent fish during night tracking!
It is required to go miles offshore and observe these animals in their natural habitat. And while on the lookout for sharks, you begin to observe the other beautiful fauna that are inhabiting our Bahamian waters. Last week, I went nurse shark wrangling. Being able to free-dive to find juvenile and neonate nurse sharks is an interesting experience, but that’s not the only thing to be observed near ledges.
Mantis shrimp, scorpion fish, and even flounders (which are pretty abnormal yet fascinating for having both eyes on one side of its body) can be seen from just one ledge. Angelfish, grunts, and snappers all can be seen just a mile or two off the south shore of South Bimini. I’ve been able to observe Southern stingrays, spiny lobsters, coral, moray eels, hawksbill turtles, barracuda, and luminescent fish during night tracking!
I’m pretty sure most Bahamians would agree with me if I said that picking up a shark is a foolish thing! However, only on my second day at the lab, I held a juvenile lemon shark and a neonate (newborn) nurse shark in my hands! With substantiating evidence I can say that these creatures, when untampered with, are among the most calm in the Caribbean Sea. I felt increasingly comfortable in their presence, from sitting in the middle of six juveniles circling me in the back pens, to snorkeling besides bigger adults that paid me no thought nor mind.
I see sharks all the time here at the lab, but if there’s one shark I’ll never get tired of looking at, it is the Caribbean Reef Shark (Carcharhinus perezi). These frightening, yet curious creatures are always present during shark dives not too far away from larger rocks off the coast of Bimini. Who would’ve known that these massive creatures with piercing eyes can be scared away by just a kick from a rubber snorkeling-set fin?
The Spotted Eagle Ray is another beautiful fish that I consider a must-see for anyone planning to visit Bimini. These shallow-water elasmobranchs have soaring wings that are uniquely marked by white spots, and they are a rarity to find during the hot summers here in Bimini. While I was fishing off the coast of South Bimini at the Shark Lab, I spotted one up-close and just gazed at its graceful swim. Then, there’s the Southern Stingray. I know that a lot of people are afraid of rays because of their barbed tail, but honestly, they’re really friendly creatures! I don’t think I’ll ever forget feeding one straight out of my hand as a one of my tasks during this month long stay.
There are so many jellyfish in the waters here in Bimini. I did some research on them and found out that they’re called upside down jellies. Apparently, they lay on the sand floor on their bells in order to photosynthesize. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought about researching their stored energy production rate when daydreaming out on the field!
My name is Luke Johnson, and I am from Freeport, Bahamas. As a citizen from the islands, I feel blessed to have been able to participate as a volunteer here in South Bimini. I could only stay at the field station for a month before my college courses begin, but what I would definitely point out is that this is a great experience if you are looking for practical experience in marine maintenance. Here I learned how to drive a boat, navigate through using a GPS, and I gained exposure to all kinds of field research while becoming more ecologically minded.
If you’re a Bahamian (or a minority, for that matter) and have considered coming here to gain experience, it’s a great way to see our waters and fish from a different point of view. You’d be contributing to building the diversity here at the Shark Lab as proof of international acceptance of staff and volunteers alike at the field station, helping create a cross-cultural exchange with those from the US, UK, Australia, France, Canada, and many other countries. The Bahamas has a lot more to offer than what most people think. I have been able to see this firsthand in this experience. We have to preserve and protect the wonderful oceans that we have in order to create a sustainable and beautiful future for future generations to come. That can start by coming to the Shark Lab, and getting an understanding of what makes everyone here so shark-obsessed and what sharks have to offer in harmonizing the food chain. Now I know!
Luke Johnson
Sharklab Volunteer, July 15th to August 15th, 2014
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