Today did not go as planned, but then
sometimes the best days don’t. We set
out to deploy 19 submersible ultrasonic receivers (SURs) that are used to
detect the movements of our 14 tagged juvenile lemon sharks in and around the
lagoon of North Bimini. We also track these sharks manually using a hydrophone
but it can sometimes feel like looking for a needle in a haystack; these
receivers are therefore crucial for collecting sufficient data to get a proper
idea of where these guys are hanging out. It was cool and breezy out on the
water so rock, paper, scissors decided whose turn it was to hop in and bury the
base of the receiver housing. At a meter and a half deep the water was just
shallow enough that none of us thought to bring a weight belt, but inevitably
just deep enough to result in two feet sprouting comically from the surface as
we struggled to stay down. One by one we dropped off our precious cargo,
forever on the lookout for the tell-tale ripple of a hunting shark or, more
often than not, the wing tip of an eagle ray.
The first unusual event was a mysterious
red cylinder that we couldn’t resist investigating. As it turned out, a marker
buoy had gone adrift and promised to be a very nice addition to our little
collection of retrieved and recycled bits and bobs salvaged from the mangroves.
We’ve recovered all kinds of debris ranging from barrels to balloons which has
the handy advantage of both cleaning up the lagoon and keeping the lab well
stocked. What really caught our eye today however was the neon yellow float we
usually see attached to fishing lines, only this one appeared to be moving… It
dawned on us all at once that the float and hook were in fact still attached to
a shark! Due to the long trailing wire it could very easily have become
lethally entangled in mangrove roots; so without hesitation we set off in hot
pursuit, or at least as fast as you can in 2ft of water.
With myself at the helm and Felicie
stretched precariously over the bow, feet held tight by two other volunteers,
we slowly made ground. Closer and closer we edged, each time the shark veering
away at the last moment until finally in a last ditch grab we were able to
catch hold and haul in our quarry, a manoeuvre worthy of the circus I felt. A
makeshift tail rope was fashioned from the bowline and the dorsal fin secured,
we collectively breathed out. Now what had we caught? It was a very handsome,
and now pissed off, sub-adult lemon shark that had obviously ripped free taking
the hook and float with it. I marvelled at his lithe, sinuous body and
twitching nose, densely freckled with electro-sensory pores. Our elation at his
capture was, however, short lived as we realised how thoroughly unprepared we
were for a spur of the moment rescue. The only cutting tools we had were a pair
of flimsy looking lab scissors, nevertheless we set to work hacking strand by
strand through the wire leader. Lemon sharks can actively pump water over their
gills and can therefor cope with resting temporarily in one spot, but we were
still working against the clock and no one wanted to release him still burdened
by the float. With a triumphant snap he was eventually cut loose, free to swim
another day. We were ecstatic, and now, pretty stuck. With our attention
focused on the shark we had failed to notice the rapidly falling tide that had
left us veritably stranded in the middle of the lagoon.
As we crawled homeward the sun abandoned us
and dark clouds rolled in. The air grew ominously cool, we donned wetsuits in
the weary resignation that it would be a very wet ride. Slowly Resorts World,
then the mangrove edge, and finally we were engulfed by a tropical tempest that
rendered all landforms invisible save for our little skiff. We danced and
yelled in the pouring rain, slightly delirious at the end of a long and
eventful day on the water. Drowned rats, the team dibbled back into the lab
well after dark to recount the days adventures (which is always far more
enjoyable once swaddled in blankets with a hot chocolate). The unpredictability
of our work can be frustrating at times, but it sure as hell beats a desk job
and means that everyone one comes away with a unique experience. No two days on
Bimini are alike, it’s what keeps you on your toes and it’s what makes it so exciting.
Our unplanned rescue mission.
Just before the storm hits…
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