The Life Aquatic – I’m on a boat!
April 11, 2011
Our collecting trip has come to a close, and as I sit at my computer downloading my 500+ photos and avoiding my stinky bag of laundry, I am reveling in the post trip haze of exhaustion, exhilaration and nostalgia. My husband and I were asked to volunteer for the 2011 Bahamas colleting trip, back in November 2010 and have been waiting in eager anticipation for this adventure, like a 6-year-old on Christmas Eve. Let me tell you, the trip was everything and more. It was the adventure of a lifetime or perhaps now an annual adventure, as we had such an amazing time. To help give you blog readers a little peek into our 10-day adventure, I wanted to share with you a little photo journal of what life out to sea on a New England Aquarium trip is like. First up, life on a boat
____________
Life on the Coral Reef II
The Coral Reef II research vessel was our home, work place and transportation for the week at sea. While the quarters could feel a little tight, she served us well.
The Coal Reef II
She was yar alright. Well, maybe not “yar” but she got the job done.

_
The deck
Where we prepped for dives, housed the fish we collected, and relaxed as we motored from one site to the next.

_
The bridge
Captain’s quarters, wheelhouse, and zodiac boats for shore trips


_
The Salon
Where we ate, relaxed and studied our fish identifications.

_
The engine room
Loud and hot, this room powered us through some high seas.

_
Below deck- Our cabins
I slept like a baby in these little bunks, and believe it or not, they felt like a luxury after a long day of diving.

_

Up next: day-by-day account of our adventure, and how we actually collected those little fish. P.S. Fish are WAY smarter than I had ever thought.
What an adventure! Any scary undersea encounters? I can’t wait to see more pics! Incredible!