Bahamas J2019 blog
Welcome to the Chemistry 290: Immersive Experience on Andros Island, Bahamas...blog
This site will document activities associated with this course including a day to day blog of activities. Blog entries will be made daily using the limited internet access available at ForFar Field Station. Upon return, pictures and other reflections will be added.
Pre-trip Agenda
Fri, Jan 4th
MC Van will leave from Monmouth at ~1 pm
Meet at hotel by 7 pm
- Hilton Chicago O'Hare Airport
- O'Hare International Airport
- Chicago IL 60666, US
- 773-686-8000
- Confirmation #3502103337 (one king beds) - BES (Brad and Kath)
- Confirmation #3506168610 (two double beds) - BES (Mike and Steve)
- Confirmation #3511258897 (two double beds) - BES (Jacob and Sam)
- Confirmation #3507331702 (two double beds) - KLS (Zack and Will)
- Confirmation #3507038608 (two double beds) - KLS (Emily and Z)
- Confirmation #3508543069 (two double beds) - KLS (Tara, Rachel, and Jose)
Sat, Jan 5th
Confirmation JCSEH5
- SAM eTicket #0162428295108
- JACOB eTicket #0162428295109
- WILL eTicket #0162428295111
- ZACH eTicket #0162428295113
- TARA eTicket #0162428295121
- RACHEL eTicket #0162428295123
- Z eTicket #0162428295125
- EMILY eTicket #0162428295139
- JOSIE eTicket #0162428295144
- MIKE eTicket #0162428295145
- KATH eTicket #0162428295146
- BRAD eTicket #0162428295147
- STEVE eTicket #0162428295148
- - Depart O'Hare Airport (ORD) , United Airlines flt#UA 5494 at 7:52 am (direct flight)
- - Arrive Nassau, Bahamas, Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) at 12:28 pm
- - Depart Nassau at ~2 pm on Western Air
- - Arrive on San Andros Airport (SAQ) ~2:30 pm
- - Transportation from Airport to Forfar - Western Air
- Sat Jan 05, 2019 (Flt #502) Departs Nassau, Bahamas (NAS) at 03:30PM arrives San Andros, Bahamas (SAQ) at 03:45PM
Live Update
Sat, Jan 5 - depart on time from Chicago…great (smooth) flight to Nassau. - Western Air flight at 3:30 pm was delayed until 6 pm…arrived at Andros by 6:20 pm and travelled in a Forfar bus and other taxis (vans)…arrived to Taco Night! - Had a quick orientation, then room assignments. - to bed by 9 pm
Sun, Jan 6th
- many were up by 6:45 am for the sunrise…it was unfortunately a slightly cloudy morning, so the sun rose, but was not visible until ~7:30 am (off the horizon).
- breakfast was at 8 am
- after breakfast we did a “botany walk around the Forfar Field Station grounds while the details our week were discussed among Brad, Doc (Larry Wiedman), and the station director Vivienne.
- we took some time to clean up and were on the station bus bound for the local Pentecostal Church…which was not in session today, so we continued to Blanket Sound St. Hope Baptist Church for a 1-hour exciting morning.
- We returned to Forfar for lunch, then packed up for our first ocean-outing.
- We traveled by skiff (w/ Captain Matt) to Pigeon Cay where we did our snorkel training and did a 20 minute snorkeling trip in some shallow waters and saw lots of small fish and invertebrates.
- we returned to shore and Laura (a station intern) had set up our first in-field lab activity, the “goliathon lab.”
- after flying the drone (Mavis Air) around Pigeon Cay, we loaded up and headed home stopping by Blue hole Cay. This small oceanic blue hole is ~ 40 feet off of the Cay and is ~ 20 ft across and 10-15 ft deep. We saw our first lionfish and quite a few larger (~1-3 feet) fish.
- We returned to the station, cleaned up and had dinner at 6 pm…mac and cheese and the famous bbq chicken + other items…good stuff!
- after dinner we heard a lecture by the station intern and native Bahamian (Aaron) titles the History and Culture of the Bahamas.
- Doc followed up with a short lecture on why the Bahamas even exist.
- We then celebrated Mike Sostarecz’s birthday with a cake/rice crispy treats made by Mike or Matt.
- As I write this the students are sitting hearing Doc stories related to his Geology background and his 30+ years of experience on Andros.
Mon, Jan 7th
Tues, Jan 8th
Weds, Jan 9th
Thurs, Jan 10th
- - Cooks night off...dinner out at local restaurant
Fri, Jan 11th
Sat, Jan 12th
- Leave Forfar at ~7 am
- Sat, Jan 12, 2019 (Flt #501) Departs San Andros, Bahamas (SAQ) at 07:30AM arrives Nassau, Bahamas (NAS) at 07:45AM.
- Depart Nassau on United Airlines, flt#1588 at 3:45 pm
- Arrive Chicago at 6:34 pm.
- van transportation back to Monmouth