Day 1

Our research crew travelled from all parts of the US ranging from Washington state, Texas, and South Carolina! Upon arrival to the airport we promptly introduced ourselves to become familiar with the team. Many of us had been on Saving the Blue trips in past, and some were excited first timers! Just like any research expedition, this trip was truly a once in a lifetime adventure!

After introductions and discussions of protocols throughout the week, we promptly boarded the plane. The view over the Bahamian waters and the west side of Andros is absolutely stunning. It’s amazing to see the untouched landscapes and the natural phenomena ranging from blue holes, reefs, and terrestrial environments. Soon we arrived at the airport where we cleared customs, then got into the taxis to head south to the Andros Island Bonefish Club.

When we arrived at the Andros Island Bonefish Club, or lodge as we affectionately call it, we admired the beautiful view of Cargill Creek trailing off into the beautiful ocean. We unpacked, then had a quick lunch and meeting where we heard the frustrating news that Andros Island was to enter a lockdown due to COVID breaches. Despite this disappointing news that would ultimately change our research goals for the week, we decided to head out on the boat for a snorkel, which we were allowed to do. After only a few minutes, four Caribbean reef sharks popped up and were extremely curious about our presence. This was some of the crew members first times in the water with these amazing creatures, and all were filled with excitement!

After returning from a great trip out on the water, we returned back to the lodge for dinner and enjoyed the rest of the night relaxing.

Day 2

As we waited for further news on permission to conduct research, we set off to conduct some informal drone surveys. The crew split up into three teams. On the boat, Phil, Rosie, Rick and Randy deployed some underwater video cameras to scope out new possible study sites for future standardized research. On the beach, Tristan, Lindsay Haley, Lily and Sydnee used drones to survey the waters for sharks and rays from above, and possibly a sawfish. We checked the area because of news form the previous week that there was a potential sawfish sighting close by! Although we searched long and hard, there were no sightings today. It doesn’t mean they weren’t there though, as sawfish are incredibly well camouflaged and hard to see unless moving.

After flying our drones, the team headed to a nearby tidal creek to snorkel with some lemon sharks. At least four baby lemon sharks found there way to us in the shallow waters, some breaking the surface with their dorsal fins! After we enjoyed their company for an hour, we headed back to the lodge for a relaxing lunch break with a beautiful view of the crystal clear water and white sandy beaches along the way. 

Shortly after lunch, we deployed the underwater cameras in a new location, and went for a snorkel in a nearby seagrass beds and some blue holes! After our snorkel we headed back to collect the underwater camera, then back to the lodge for the night.

After a delicious local fish dinner, we reviewed footage and saw the marine life captured by the cameras including barracudas, nurse sharks, Caribbean reefs, and an animal we did not expect, a GREAT HAMMERHEAD! It’s always a great surprise looking over footage because you truly never know what you’re going to see! With our minds racing on what we could possibly see tomorrow, we headed to bed to prepare.

Day 3

Today the team conduct more drone flights led by Lily. We decided to explore a new location in hopes of finding a sawfish based on rumors of a sighting just two weeks prior. Lily surveyed the area while the rest of the team explored the surrounding creeks. They saw sea stars, curly tailed lizards, and some lemon sharks swimming in the shallows. Unfortunately no sawfish though.

After the drone flights were complete, the team spent an hour or two snorkeling with more sharks! In total we attracted six lemon sharks of different sizes ranging from 2-6 ft in total length. The team were excited to experience such bold sharks approaching them as again, for many it was a first-time experience! After our fun with these larger lemons, we decided to head back to the lodge for a mini break and to avoid the midday heat.

Upon arrival to the lodge, we waited patiently for research approval. The team relaxed outside catching some sun rays and eating lunch with a beautiful view of the ocean in front of us. Soon enough, Tristan came out with some good and bad news. Unfortunately, despite best efforts to obtain special permission to conduct research during the lockdown, we were unable to secure permission. However, there was exciting news for us. Tristan told us that we would be leaving Andros to launch the start of a new research project based out of Jupiter, Florida!

After hearing the news, the team was excited to be a part of the new research project and prepared to go back out onto the water to snorkel a few more blue holes, coral reef and seagrass beds as a final afternoon of fun. 

The team encountered many fish species across the reef and were able to try a little freediving to explore rock crevices that provided homes for a diversity of fish and invertebrates. We found moray eels, Caribbean reef sharks, southern stingrays and many different species of healthy corals to name a few. After the exploration of different blue holes and reefs, the team headed back in for a warm meal at the lodge before packing up for our relocation!

Day 4

Waking up was a bit different for the team this morning. We woke up, had some breakfast and headed to Fresh Creek to get COVID tested prior to heading back into the States and begin our new research project in Jupiter. The team piled into Captain Cole’s truck and spent the morning at the clinic. After everyone received their negative COVID results, we returned to the lodge to pack up the rooms, eat a quick lunch and celebrate Tristan and Rick’s birthday! We were able to surprise the both of them with a carrot cake at lunch with a shark candle (thanks to Annie!). The team enjoyed the celebrations and relaxed until the taxis arrived at the lodge to transport us to the airport for our flight. 

Upon our arrival to Fort Lauderdale, Phil headed to collect a rental truck, then we headed to our Airbnb in Jupiter. The team were able to find the Airbnb that was made out of freight containers stacked on top of each other. Weird to think about - I know, however, it was a last minute, very homey fit for the team, and had the necessary amenities for the rest of the trip. There were two sections of the Airbnb that split the team into two - the girls took over the main part of the cabin, the boys were upstairs in a comfy and cozy area. After unpacking, the team went out for dinner at a local Mexican restaurant and headed back to the Airbnb to get ready for the next morning. 

Day 5

The day we had all been waiting for had arrived, and we did not know just how AMAZING it was going to be. Annie was able to secure a boat and captain who offered his services to Saving the Blue for the next two days. Our research goal was to satellite tag five adult silky sharks to track their movements across the western Atlantic and Caribbean for the next year. These tags were generously donated by Wildlife Collections in collaboration of our joint project to promote ocean conservation awareness. Although Annie and Tristan did not anticipate beginning the research this month, they were both excited to get out on the boat and start deploying these tags!

The team woke up early to eat some breakfast, pack their bags, and make their way to meet up with Captain Eddy who would be helping us tag sharks for the next two days. Captain Eddy took us a few miles offshore to a hotspot where silky sharks are often found by ecotourism operators. When we arrived, Tristan briefed the team on how to prepare the SPOT tags to ensure efficient tagging of the sharks. This is important because these tags can be complicated to put on in high-pressured situations, and our goal is always to ensure the safety of the sharks and the safety of the team during tag deployments. After the briefing, the team was confident and ready to go! Targeted handlines were used to catch the silky sharks, which included several buoys to identify the location of the sharks after they swam from the initial capture location, and bring them to the boat for tagging. It wasn’t long before a large shark appeared on the fish finder down below the boat. Filled with excitement, the team eagerly waited for the shark to come to the surface to find out it was a healthy ~10ft Silky Shark - just what we were hoping for! Within minutes there were three sharks circling the boat, so we threw in the line and waited for one to take it. After a few tries, we were successful, and a silky aggressively swam off with the line! Now it was time to retrieve it and safely attach the tag. 

When we approached the buoy, we began to bring the shark in towards the boat. After a few minutes, Phil was able to bring the silky close enough to the boat where Tristan secured it with a tail and girth rope to ensure its safety, and ours. Once secure, Annie went into the water with Rosie as her spotter to take pictures of the tagging event. The team handed off equipment to Tristan as he tagged the mature male with a SPOT tag while other team members were taking measurements. Once the tag was securely on the shark, the team prepared for release and the silky went on its way in excellent release condition! The team was overjoyed with excitement that we successfully tagged our first shark! One SPOT tag down, four more to go.

Little did we know we truly hit a hotspot for silky sharks, because we were able to deploy ALL FIVE SPOT TAGS WITHIN FIVE HOURS! Each time a SPOT tag was deployed Annie eagerly jumped in the water to photo-document each shark. Her spotters included Rosie, Sydnee and Lily who were tasked with making sure Annie was safe as she focused on the tagging process, since silky, bull, lemon and sandbar sharks were present during the tagging, and curious of the shark being tagged, and the humans alongside it.

This experience was extremely rare and the team felt a huge surge of accomplishment for the day! Although the beginning of the week started off with many unknowns, this team was the first to experience a Saving the Blue trip that was in two different locations, and sparked the beginning of the new Jupiter project that connects Saving the Blue’s silky shark project in Andros, The Bahamas, and shark conservation and management in the US! In total we were able to tag three males and two females, all of which were mature adults. One female looked a little round so Tristan used a portable ultrasound for utero imaging in the hopes of documenting baby sharks in her belly, which he did! WOW

After an amazingly successful day, the team headed back to the dock, packed up the gear and took a photo to commemorate this special day! Annie and Tristan headed home while the rest of the team traveled back to their Airbnb to shower quickly and head out to dinner at a local spot known for their delicious food. The team took a toast at dinner and celebrated. After dinner, the crew headed back to their Airbnb and packed their things ready for the next day on the water.

Day 6

The last day on the water. The team headed back out to the dock where Captain Eddy’s family was able to join us for the day. We drove out to the exact spot where we were the day before and baited in some sharks to swim with! We had sandbars, bulls, and silkies swimming around us! Although we did not have any more SPOT tags to deploy, Tristan was able to externally dart tag four more silky sharks by freediving with a custom-made pole spear! One of the silkies he tagged had an extremely long fishing line attached to it in which he was able to cut off for disposal - way to go Dr. G! 

After an incredibly successful morning the team spent the afternoon relaxing and swimming with sharks along Jupiter in lieu of celebrating the accomplishments from the day before. After our day on the boat, we drove back to the Airbnb, relaxed a little and headed out for one last supper! Everyone enjoyed each other’s company and had dinner on the water with live music playing. Although everyone was in high spirits, we were all sad that the week had already come to an end. Truly, a one of a kind Saving the Blue Research Trip!

After dinner, the team said their goodbyes to Tristan and Haley and the rest of the team headed back to pack their suitcases to leave the next morning to return home.

Day 7

The last day. The team packed their belongings, and headed to the airport to catch their flights home. Everyone separated to check their bags and met with each other again to say their final goodbyes. Phil, Sydnee, Rick, Randy, Rosie, Lindsay and Lily said their goodbyes and finally headed off home.

Thank you

Thank you to our research leaders, Dr. Guttridge and Dr. Matich for this once in a lifetime adventure of shark research. Without their guidance and leadership, this trip would not have been as successful as it was without them. Thank you to our research assistants for being supportive and willingness to adjust in unexpected circumstances! 

Thank you to Andros Island Bonefish Club for their amazing hospitality, and our hardworking and professional Captain Cole with PFO Charters for his boating and leadership skills.

Also, thank you to Annie, as she was able to organize a last-minute flight back to the states, secure a charter for research, purchased new research equipment, a place for the team to stay and ensured we had enough groceries for breakfast and lunch each day! We also would like to thank Captain Eddy and Sea Hunter Boats for their generosity on letting us conduct our research on their vessel - without their flexibility and gracious attitude we would not have been able to do it without you.

Gratitude must go to all who were on the trip for their generosity in allowing us to use their images for this blog.