The Great Sharklab Evacuation
By Rebecca Schijns
It was the morning of a beautiful
and sunny Day Off that we received the ominous news. Gathered at the kitchen
table, Lab Manager Ches announced, “Unfortunately, we will be evacuating
Bimini… And we have one day to do it.”
Let me explain. This is September
in the Caribbean, AKA prime hurricane season. Hurricane Irma had been on our
radar for the past week, and we watched anxiously as the projected path aligned
directly with Eastern Florida, including our little island of Bimini. The days
drew closer and Irma reached Category 5, breaking records as the most powerful
recorded storm in the open Atlantic. As much as we all hated to leave our home
and all the science we had been working so hard on, we knew it was time to
leave.
Standard hurricane preparation
consists of an extensive list that is meant to take around three days to
complete. However, we had a deadline of 24 hours since the Bimini airport
customs decided they would close before our chartered flight (which required
stressful reorganization). Volunteers and staff snapped out from their groggy,
morning haze into this-means-business mode. Boats were heaved out of the water
and tied to surrounding trees. Coconuts were stripped from surrounding palms,
unarming the trees of their dangerous ammunition during high winds. All the
windows were boarded up and outside paraphernalia was secured inside. Expensive
equipment and valuable frozen DNA, isotope, and blood samples were moved to a
more secure location. Teams travelled to the field, removing all the precisely
placed acoustic receivers. With great remorse, we released eight juvenile lemon
sharks from their pens, allowing them to swim to safer waters. By 10:00pm, the Sharklab crew collapsed on
the kitchen floor to eat a much-deserved pizza dinner and share one last
evening together for an undetermined amount of time.
The following day we arose early,
packed 10lbs of valuables each, and headed to the airport. Flying with four
adopted pit bulls proved to be yet another challenge. After exhaustive barking
at strangers and a “small” dose of Benadryl, the pups sat, drooling at the
window, as we passed over clear blue waters towards Miami. From Miami, the
Sharklab crew broke off into smaller groups and headed towards their various
destinations across North America.
Caption: Sharklabbers
Raquel and Sophia with travel buddies Matthew and Lucifer
Two Weeks Later…
After a trifecta of Hurricanes (Irma,
Katia, and Jose) passed through the Caribbean, we have returned safely back to
our beloved Sharklab! To our shock and relief, the lab remained in one piece
through the storm surge. Grateful to be back, we assembled as the new and
improved Sharklab crew. While it was strange to wear shoes and have freshwater
showers, the short time off the island allowed time to refill on snack supplies
and heal from bites and burns. Now, we walk the dock runway in style: flashy new
Buff and rash guard, accessorizing with Yeti stickers and Go Pros. Ready to
tackle whatever comes our way. Bring on the sharks, Bimini!
