Day 5: Kayaking

The day began with a 9:00 am kayaking trip at a local resort only about 5 minutes from BIOS by bus. There, our guide brought us through the harbor and out the the shore line where we were exposed to the beautiful coastline of Bermuda. At one point on the tour we stopped at a spot occupied by green sea turtles that weaved their way through the sea grass floor. Being as skittish as they are to humans, we were only able to view the turtles while in the kayaks as the swam as blobs beneath us. However, we were lucky to be able to seek a peak of them when the came to the surface for air. Moving on with the tour we went back the way we came and over to Walsingham where we then took a break for a swim as well as got some snorkeling in where students saw creatures like the squirrelfish as well as sea anemnomies and creole wrasse. We swam within the rock formations and even got a closer look at the roots of mangrove trees from beneath the water. After coming back for a delightful fish and chips lunch some students stayed at BIOS due to cuts and ailments and were not up to the trek to turtle bay. Others had to take a bus to St. Davids and transferred onto a second bus that took us to turtle bay on Coopers Island where there was a lot of snorkeling of large angelfish, smooth trunk fish, butterfly fish as well as new baby stergeant fish and creole wrasse. We were suprised to find a mamoth sea earchin. After drying off and tanning in the strong Bermudan sun we got a bus back to St. Georges and had jerk chicken and fish soup dinner with warm apple pie and vanilla ice cream sundae for dessert. To keep us busy until nightfall were we would have a bonfire with smores everyone played cards and fun active acticiteys. On our way to whalebone bay to have the bonfire we checked out a cool pond that is supposed to have fireworks of glow worms letting off reproductive fosflorecence and it is considered a holiday for Bermudians and it happens every year three days after the full moon and 58 minutes after sunset. Unfortunetly thus spesific time is past us going home. See all you parents soon!
Author of the day
Emma Stone
Kirsten Hohman

Day 4: Nonsuch Island, Shipwreck and Walsingham Caves

Which picture should Mr. C use for his
match.com account? Vote in the poll at the bottom of this post

The group started off the day with a swim to Nonsuch Island started in 1951 by Doctor David Wingate. Dr. Wingate began the island to reintroduce native and endemic plants of Bermuda on the verge of extincition. It was like walking into Bermuda 400 years ago before man arrived to the islands. After experiencing this so called "Time Travel" we headed straight toward the Rita Zevatta, an Italian cargo ship which wrecked on the Bermudian reefs. Diving down over 20 feet to observe the algae covered remains. Once the journey to the shipwreck had ended a bermudan citizen took us on a tour of walsingham pond, and through the caves of the area. To start the journey we jumped 15 feet off of some of the hardest limestone found on earth into a small brackish pond that connected to the Ocean by streams through the swampy area. Dready our tour guide showed us the area explaining how the red Mangroves that dove directly into the swampy ground to grow and survive with the tides moving and tearing away at the roots of the plants. Dready led us through the winding trails that scattered the swamp towards the dry and wet caves that were an amazing natural phenomonom to explore. He explained how when the water in the wet caves dug away at the rock, when the water had nowhere else left to travel it would eat away at the softest parts of the rock which could lead to sinkholes rising up through the ground eventually digging through the roof of the cave to the open air.

Day 3: North Rock and Fort St. Catherine

 Twas a brilliant day up a the Rock of North. Whilst we venture unto the sight we procured a ride upon a boating vessel. It tookith us up to the Rock of North where we began our admiration of the coral reef and aquatic ecosystem. Taken aback by the awe inspiring sights and multitude of marine life throughout the reef. The seaman who captained the vessel dove throughout the reef with such ease that we pondered to each other, "how doth thou do that?"

  Onward we moved to our next destination, a fort located in prime sunlight. We took the bus almost near our destination which proved to be a hike that almost made us pass out. when we arrived at the fort we noticed the air conditioning. This lasted about 5 minuets. we moved underneath the fort and saw the cannons, which we learned shattered glass in all of saint George when it was test fired in the 1700's. after our venture through the fort we dove into water,

 rumored to have fantastic snorkeling. well this was very wrong and nothing ever again will look as good as the good ole north rock

About the Authors: Self explanatory^ 

Day Two: Spittal Pond and Cooper's Island

     Our journey at began Spittal Pond where we
met our very knowledgeable 12th generation
Bermudian native. We learned about Spittal pond which was created in the 1940s to provide a home for migratory birds and native flora and fauna. We also hiked around a brackish marsh to a rock peak revealing a view like no other. Twas a hike yonder, set forth unto the rock formation whilst we absorbed the information and learnthed on the historic birth of the nation. As the trek ended the group entered the bus and journeyed to Cooper's Island. The guide aided in helping us clean the beach from shards and pieces washed up from the tides and currents running through the ocean. We snorkeled around the beach area and noticed a variety of fish including Sargent Major, Slippery Dick, Rainbow and Blue Parrotfish, Angelfish, Trumpet fish, Yellow Goatfish, Smooth Trunkfish, Long Spine Squirrellfish, and a Blue Tang. We returned to a succulent dinner of Panfish, or was it Pan fried fish, perhaps it was fried Pan fish. Regardless it was nutrious and delicious, a culinary experience for sure.

-Matthew Mulligan, Joseph Doyle, Michael McMahon, and Mr. Cavarkapa

Day One: Bermuda Adventures!

After leaving the school we got to Logan at about 8:30 and boarded the plane at 11:00. When we got to Bermuda we were at the airport for about 45 minutes before we got in our van to get to BIOS. It was a surprise for most students to ride in a van that had the driver on the right and the roads having opposite traffic. After we got to BIOS we listened to the general rules and standards expected of us at the research center by an employee and got a quick tour of the center before unpacking in our rooms and getting ready for our first adventure of many to come. Whalebone Bay is about a two to three mile hike that all the students enjoyed not only for the exercise after sitting all day but also the wonderful view the hike had to offer. At the Bay we tested out our snorkel gear for a hour or two seeing the beautiful tropical fish in the refreshing water. On our arrival back to BIOS we discovered our showers did not work and needed a maintenance man to come turn on our water supply as we went out to dinner. Dinner consisted of salad, pasta with your choice of sauce, broccoli, bread, and we cannot forget the delicious lemon meringue pie for dessert. We had time before our lecture to wonder around and we went to concrete beach which is a small insignificant area students like us got to go swimming with a few beach chairs on the literal concrete beach and swim out to a floating dock in the middle of the mouth of the channel. Our lecture was a brief history of how this beautiful destination spot came about and then a little bit about the settlers and what not. Also we got to learn a little bit about tectonic plates and plate separation as well as dry caves, wet caves and sink holes. We also were given a heads up on what types of sea life to keep an eye out for during the course of our visit including brain coral, sea cucumbers and lion fish. A cool fact we got to learn is that parrot fish are a hermaphrodite species in which they transform between male and female when it is helpful for their reef. Free time was spent after the lecture going to the concrete beach and taking the showers we were denied before as well as hanging around the spacious air conditioned dorms. Bed time is at 11:00 in preparation for the exhilarating day planned for us tomorrow. Author of the day Kirsten Hohman and Emma Coffey

2014 Bermuda Trip Itinerary

 
July 2014 Bermuda Itinerary at Bermuda Institute for Ocean Sciences (BIOS)

Monday July 7th:

Meet at RHAM at 6 AM for drive to Logan Airport. Car transportation provided by chaperones to Logan Express bus in Framingham, MA. Jet Blue flight 290 leaves Logan at 10:55 A.M. Pack your own lunch.

Afternoon: Flight arrives at 2:00 P.M. (Duration is approximately 2 hrs. Bermuda is 1 time zone ahead of CT) Check in at BIOS. Hike, swim, snorkel equipment check at Whalebone Bay

Evening: Intro lecture on Bermuda

Tuesday July 8th:

Morning: Pack a lunch at BIOS. Public bus to hike at Spittal Pond with botanist Lisa Greene. Public bus to John Smith for lunch, swim, and snorkel.

Afternoon: Pick-up at John Smith Bay by BIOS bus for transport to Coopers Island for tree planting and trash pick-up.

Evening: Lecture on coral and fish identification

Wednesday July 9th:

Morning: BIOS boat to North Rock for snorkel.

Afternoon: Public bus to Fort St. Catherine for tour of fort and snorkel at Tobacco Bay

Evening: Lecture on Nonsuch Island

Thursday July 10th: 

Morning: BIOS boat to Nonsuch Island for walking tour. Snorkel on return trip at wreck, based on condition.

Afternoon: Public bus to Walsingham Nature Reserve for hike of caves.

Evening: Lecture from Andrea Bodner and/or tour of Atlantic Explorer

Friday July 11th: 

Morning:  Public bus to kayak trip

Afternoon: Public bus to Clearwater Beach

Evening: Campfire at Whalebone Bay

Saturday July 12th: 

Morning: Public Bus to St. George’s for scavenger hunt.

Afternoon: After lunch depart for airport at 12:45 P.M. Flight leaves at 3:00 P.M. on Jet Blue flight 1704. Flight arrives in Boston at 4:12 P.M. Logan Express bus to Framingham, MA and car ride back to RHAM (approximate arrival time 8:00 P.M.)

Wednesday July 16^th: Reflection essay due.

A glimpse of what this trip has to offer...

Pictured to the left are students at the BIOS center in Bermuda. The Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, founded in 1903 as the Bermuda Biological Station. Students will have a great opportunity to see marine research in action.

The mission of BIOS is to transform the fields of oceanography, marine science, and ocean health through a blend of cutting edge research, comprehensive educational experiences and a commitment to share our knowledge internationally.


Bermuda is host to a wide variety of interesting animals, flora, and fauna! Some are endemic which means that Bermuda is the only place in the world where they can be found.

While scuba diving, kayaking, hiking through the wilderness students will have and opportunities to take in the variety of plants and animals in their natural habitat.