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We made it!

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We’ve arrived to the Cook Islands and met up with Guy Trimby from Plymouth Marine Laboratory in the UK. Communications have been difficult due to limited internet, and we’ve had a pretty packed schedule. To acclimate ourselves with the Cook Islands, we have been visiting the capital island of Rarotonga, and learning about the culture. The islands are celebrating their 50th anniversary of independence, in where villagers from the 15 different islands compete in a song and dance competition.

We have done some snorkeling and checked out some of the local reefs, and they are simply amazing. the water is clear and warm, and the reefs are plentiful and beautiful. Our real research destination is on Aitutaki, a 30 minute flight to the north east of Rarotonga. Aitutaki is home to the largest lagoon in the Cook Islands, and has only a population of 2000 people.

The group spent two days on Rarotonga and now has been on Aitutaki for another two. Unfortunately there has been issues with our cargo, as all of our equipment is large, and very heavy. Because of this, we have not been able to perform the ROV or UAV surveys, but we have continue on with other surveys such as snorkeling and sandy beach ecology monitoring.

More will come in the next few days, along with pictures when we have secure internet!

Sunset wrasse 

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Ciguatera has been an emerging problem within the last four or five years on Rarotonga and a few other nearby islands, such as Aitutaki. Although many people rely on reef fish populations as a food source, the sunset wrasse is untouched as it is not a public interest.   These fish feed mainly on small invertebrates with small […]

Sandy Beaches of Aitutaki Motus

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We went snorkeling in the lagoon of Aitutaki Island and explored some of the smaller Islands in the lagoon called “motus”. The first was named Motu Ketiu and had multiple species of birds nesting on the Motu. I was able to identify red footed boobies, brown boobies, red tailed tropic birds, white tailed tropic birds, […]

Off The Beaten Path 

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When we first got off the plane and started walking the streets of London on Tuesday, it was so surreal. It was almost like I was walking into a real life fantasy land with the cloudy skies, and beautiful architecture everywhere one could look. There was no denying that it was a beautiful city. Sometimes I still can’t believe that I am actually in London at the moment. Everything about this city is so intriguing and with such rich history. 
So far, my favorite site that we’ve been to is Buckingham Palace. Every room was so extravagant and filled with detail that it took extra time to take in everything. I loved looking up at the ceiling and seeing how even something that is not the center piece of the room, is still full with detail in every way. It goes to show how much time everything took to build and complete and how it is even still used today. 
I also just like to go “off the beaten path” and explore the city by ourselves. It is not so often that we get the chance to get lost in a new city, nonetheless a new country, so I thought it was a great opportunity to get familiar with the culture and surroundings. I will admit that the locals aren’t the most friendly people when one is lost, but we are bound to run into someone who will show us the way. 
I can’t wait for the next few days that we have to continue to explore and discover even more attractions of this giant city. 
-Bri 

A Warm Welcome to London

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It’s been three days since we have been in London and I cannot stress how wonderfully surreal this experience is. Before leaving, I had my idea of what it was going to be like and I have to say it does not compare to how it actually is. 

The streets are flooded with people rushing to get to where they need to be. Most of them wear headphones to make the commute somewhat easier, I think. I even saw one person go as far as to read a book on their way to the tube. I couldn’t help but think how different it is from LA. I highly doubt I would find someone reading a book on their way somewhere in LA. 

If people aren’t filling up the sidewalks then they are on their bikes. I was surprised to see how many choose to ride bikes to get to places. The taxis, buses, and cars seem to be mindful of them though and will make room for them on the road.  

 
But nonetheless, you can see sometimes it can get a bit messy. 

Yesterday, we went to visit the Westminster which is probably my favorite thing we have done so far.  

 

It seems as if the architecture was designed to ensure that every inch was built with a meaning behind it. From the animals they would choose to put on their tombs to the way the ceilings were built, nothing was without significance. I think what I really enjoyed though was our guide Shawn’s enthusiasm. It made me interested to learn about every inch of the space. What amazes me even more was the fact that Charles Darwin was buried in there. I would have never of guessed. 
The amount of detail that went into creating what the Westminster is today is probably why it was my favorite so far. We visited other places too such as the London eye, Buckingham, The Shard and several others which did not disappoint. That just makes me even more excited to see what is up next! 

Pizza! 

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Last night, a group of us went out looking for a place to eat, preferably pizza. At first the search was not producing, but then we stumbled upon a small Italian joint that was starting to close up. They happily brought us in, took out orders, and served us some delicious pizza. Once we had finished eating and paid, the restaurant was ready to close down. What made this spot interesting to me, from what I could gather while eating, was that it was run by a family. The cooks, who seemed to be the mother and father, were now out on the floor waiting for the final cleaning to be finished by their daughters. They were laughing, but obviously tired and ready for the night to end. This stuck with me because what turned out to be the last resort for food turned into something more, seeing the bond between a family grown by working together. 

End of the Runway Beach

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After a visit to the Boat Shed, we ended our introduction to Aitutaki with a snorkel at the (other end of runway) End of the Runway Beach as the sun was setting this evening.  Just before we entered the water, we checked out the goings on the beach itself: We also discussed the fine-grained sand […]

Sunset Snorkel

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This evening, our first on Aitutaki, we had an amazing sunset snorkel at the airport beach. This area is one of my favorites for snorkeling on the island as it has an easy access from a beautiful beach on the northern tip of the island, and has a great diversity of fishes just meters from […]

First day on Aitutaki

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We temporarily split our group up today so that the plane could actually get off the ground.  Our first group left the Rarotonga Airport at 9am and the second group flew out at 10:30am.  A mere 40 minutes later we touched down on Aitutaki.  The island looked so amazing from the air with water so blue and clear. […]

From Raratonga to Aitutaki

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My first couple days in Raratonga was similar to what I had expected – beautiful people, extraordinary marine life and white sand beaches. Our home was in a missionary boarding house, directly across the from beach. I made a few friends with the local dogs and pigs, snapping the shot below.     So forth during […]