(A course that was a joint venture between the Geology Department at the University of Akron and the Department of Anthropology and Earth Science at Minnesota State University Moorhead)
(under construction)
On the charter plane to San Salvador. I told people it was going to be a small plane.
On our way from the runway back to the terminal to pick up a student who wasn't ready to get on the plane.
The student mentioned in the caption above (Chris Johnson). Since she was commonly grooming (like combing her nose hairs) and doing other things...she didn't hear her name called to board the plane.
Ft. Lauderdale from the air....on our charter flight to San Salvador
Tidal flats and tidal channels on the leeward side of Andros Island....and a good shot of the wing of the charter plane.
Megaripples in lagoonal sediments near Nassau.....and another good shot of the wing.
Our destination....
Our mode of transportation for the next 7 days. Who is that blond guy, and what's up with Kurt?
Three troublemakers (Kurt, Jessie, and Melissa) frolic on the beach at Columbus Landing.
The group gets ready for our first bit of snorkeling from North Beach. All the glare on the right side of the photo appears to be coming from Jenn.
Amanda seems to enjoy walking with flippers on..
The heads of our students bobbing around in Grahams Harbor during our first snorkeling exercise.
Holothuria mexicana - a sea cucumber that looks very much like the final outcome of a meal of a large sea creature.
Oreaster reticulatus - a sea star hanging out on the sand flats near the Thalassia beds near North Beach.
Chris under water...the only place she didn't lose her stuf. Unlike on land, where she lost her hat, phone, glasses, passport, etc., etc. etc.
Dr. Lisa Park ponders the situation at North Point.
Fossil trackway (crab?) in eolian carbonates at North Point.
Chris Johnson looking quite fashionable (although she had just lost her hat) in front of cross beds in an eolian carbonate on North Point.
Coral rubble (mostly bits of A. palmata) in the upper part of the reef facies in the Cockburn Town Fossil Reef (120 ka).
More coral rubble and a large head of Montastraea (in the crack) at the Cockburn Town Fossil Reef.
Students work on the exercise at the Cockburn Town Fossil Reef.
A stormy day on San Salvador.
The remains of the main house at Whatling's Castle- a plantation that was operating on the south side of the island in the mid 1800's. We were not planning to stop at this locality (why spend your day looking at reefs and tropical fish when you could be walking around in thorn bushes looking at a beat-up old house), but the damn archeologists in the group forced us to.
Part of the Akron crew inside the cookhouse fireplace at Whatling's Castle. Lisa is obviously responding to one of my many wise statements.
The first fish I observed on my way out to Snap-Shot. Of course, since I have a new camera...I burned through about half a roll of film on the first fish.
A diver from the Club Med. boat that was anchored at Snap-Shot reef.
The same Club Med. diver about to mess with an ongoing science experiment at Snap-Shot. Lisa had to yell at him, but I don't thing he understood english.
Diploria on Snap-Shot showing the combined influences of bleaching and predation (being munched on by Parrotfish).
A school of Yellowtail Snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus) stay close to a large coral head on Snap-Shot.
The instructor taking the picture of the snappers in the previous photograph
A Stoplight Parrotfish (on the left) snacks on some coral.
More coral and more fish on Snap Shot Reef.
Bad photograph of a Triggerfish - I decided to buy a new underwater camera before the trip, and I ended up spending a little more than I wanted (cant post the actual price here because of the possibility that Patty may see this page, and if she did see the actual price - I would be beaten severely). Most of the underwater photographs taken by students using disposable cameras seem to be better than most of mine.
Yet more coral and more fish. Why did I leave this place to return to Fargo????
A group photo at Snap-Shot reef. I guess I should have waited until I surfaced to take the photo.
Our adventure to Pigeon Creek, a tidal channel and tidal delta on the south side of the island. We snorkeled out of the channel in strong currents during low tide, and ended up out on the tidal delta. When we were finished we got caught in a pelting rain, and the students went running up the edge of the channel. The road, and a short walk to the truck, was about 20 feet to the left of where this photo was taken. Instead, people went running up the muddy edge of the channel and encountered many stinging hydras, which from what people tell me, were very painful.
It wasn't always sunny on the island, and some people (Chris) didn't seem to enjoy the rain.
Jenn seems to find amusement in Chris's misery. She was probably just feeling happy to have remembered to bring the waterproof makeup.
Interesting strategies to avoid the pelting rain. I must say - Shane has never looked better.
Kurt accidentally beaches himself at Grotto Beach. Fortunately, some kind-hearted tourists helped him back into the water so no harm came from this incident.
Kurt and Jessie struggle to reach the safety of the open ocean.
Grahams Harbor and the boat that was used for our three hour tour.
My most frightening moment on the trip. Looking back to see that Jessie was driving the boat..
The San Salvador Lighthouse. A structure that I will never be able to look at the same way ever again.
Some students were obviously not happy to be climbing down a shakey ladder into a dark cave. Shane at the mouth of the Lighthouse Cave.
Joe ("the ugly one") looking very enthused as he sits in a wet and stinky cave. The back of Amanda's shirt is also a hint about how deep the water in the cave was...
Dr. Park emerges from Lightthouse Cave
Mr. Moose looking very cheerful, probably because he had just wiped a big handful of bat doo-doo on the back of the instructor. Bad karma was with Mr. Moose for the remainder of the trip, and especially that very evening.
Kenton looking stoic at San Salvador International Airport. He has this look on his face because; a) he is deep in thought, b) he is sad to be leaving the island, or c) Kenton always looks this way.
Photo documentation that Miss Johnson was on time for the charter plane on the return trip.