During the workshop, Applied Technology, we got the opportunity to travel to Pigeon Key and South Florida. The project we had to complete was fully submerging our team's ROV underwater and “flying” to the other side of the dock. The seven teams raced to see who could achieve the mission the fastest.
During this wonderful trip, we got to experience many different things. We enjoyed watching the Super Bowl, snorkeling in a beautiful reef, and waking up early for shark fishing. The first night we got to Florida, we drove down a beautiful road to our Airbnb while blasting “Miami” by Will Smith and sharing many laughs. As soon as we arrived at our house, we unpacked and enjoyed each other's company. The highlight of many people’s day was enjoying the one and only Super Bowl.
On day two, we enjoyed a slow morning that consisted of many fun conversations and delicious bagels. We then hit the road to Pigeon Key. After a long trek and enjoying looking out at the beautiful blue water, we arrived at the island. We loaded on a train and were greeted by a set of wonderful counselors. We explored the island and swam in the water. We all had a wonderful dinner and headed to enjoy a night of sleep.
While on the island we learned so much about the biology of fish and how to tell one from another. After all of our learning, we got to go out and snorkel at a beautiful reef which was by a lighthouse. The lighthouse used to be the tallest iron structure in the world until the Eiffel Tower was constructed. When we arrived at the lighthouse we jumped into the crystal clear water and explored the coral and thousands of fish. As soon as we got all the salt water out of our lungs, we headed back to camp. After all of our marine learning, we got to enjoy some downtime. We then had our ROV competition. As soon as the star of the show was over, we headed to the beach for the tide pools and snorkeling. We got to look at many cool invertebrates like starfish, jellyfish, octopus, and many animals we’ve never heard of. We also explored the biology of sharks. We learned how to detect sharks and how to keep them safe. We even got the chance to dissect a lemon shark as well as feed a nurse shark.
On the last day of Pigeon Key, we woke up bright and early for an hour of fishing at sunrise. We caught a variety of fish like a trumpet fish and even a black nose shark. After the amazing sunrise and slimy fishing, we enjoyed breakfast, packed up, and left our beloved island. We drove a tedious three hours on a long highway while blasting wonderful music and soaking in the colorful environment. Before heading to our house, we stopped at Sharky's Shark Bite Grill. Don’t worry, no sharks were harmed while dining. Soon after lunch, we explored the Florida Everglades. We took a short walk around the never-ending grassy Florida Everglades. We got to see many alligators, fish, and a variety of birds. That was a memory many people will never forget. I hope I can visit again soon. After our hike, we drove over to Robert is Here Fruit Stand. This fruit stand had every fruit you could imagine, including starfruit, mango, jackfruit, and many many more. Not only did we enjoy tropical fruit, but we got to hang out with cows, turtles, emus, and goats. After visiting Robert, we drove to our last place. When we arrived, we all got settled and enjoyed the last night of the trip with some pizza.
The last morning of the trip was bittersweet. We enjoyed the last drops of warmth at a local beach and park. We all shared many laughs and stories then loaded up to head back home.
Thank you to Tree, Kristina, Tori, and Brian for taking us on this wonderful adventure! And, a big thank you to the school for making this learning experience possible! Thank you!