Sand. Sand is coarse, malleable, sticky, wet and quite abundant. On Heron Island, sand is everywhere. I scratch my head, there is sand. I lay down in bed, there is sand. Despite its annoying tendencies, sand is such a large part of everything that is Heron. It tells a story of the island; where it has been, where it is going. From simply feeling the sand between your toes you can tell which side of the island you are on and which way the wind blows. Heron Island would not exist if not for sand. I would not have had one of the most amazing weeks of my life if not for sand. So sand, even though you will still be with me long after our return to the mainland, I appreciate you. Grudgingly.
Heron Island is a coral cay. This means that it is made up of millions of grains of ground up and eroded coral. While living, coral creates the backbone of reefs and allows for all of the biodiversity to be sustained. When it dies, it becomes sand-like rubble, the major component of islands on the reef. However, this cay construction means Heron is an island always on the move. Grains of sand are different sizes depending on whether they reside on the windward or leeward sides of the islands. This is the result of varying wind and wave pressure that affects areas on the island differently. Throughout the week we all discovered what it felt like to be a piece of coral: we were constantly being buffeted by strong winds and an even stronger current.
It’s funny how quickly time passes here. It probably has something to do with the saying that “time flies when you’re having fun”; so I guess, when it comes down to it, I would rather have time fly than not be having any fun. On Heron Island, another week passed before our eyes. We learned, ate great food, performed biology field studies, snorkeled, ate more food, watched turtle hatchlings erupt from their nests, and then had some dessert. Even school here did not feel so school-like: when learning largely consists of snorkeling and taking reef walks, it is nearly impossible not to be engaged.
As the weather gods would have it, our last couple days at Heron were our nicest. However, this beauty was slightly marred by the fact that the exam for the marine biology portion of our natural history course was set for Saturday morning. This caused Friday morning to be spent in a state of studiousness, with (of course) a break for morning tea. However, our work was all made worth it during the afternoon.
Snorkeling has been something we’ve all had to become accustomed to during our week here. Even though I had begun this week fairly confident of my snorkeling abilities, I can now say that I am an extremely proficient snorkeler. Friday afternoon we were able to go out on our second boat snorkel trip, and let me tell you that you can in fact tell when people are smiling underwater. In short, it was amazing. With the sun shining we were able to see further than we ever had before, and what was there took my breath away. Or maybe that was just from the strength of the swells... The boat allowed us to be on the outside of the reef flat, where life is more abundant and colorful. Everything seemed bigger! Five foot long fish, massive coral growths and schools consisting of thousands, made up a lot of what was living out there.
But of course, a snorkel trip would not be the same without seeing a shark, right? Never fear because I saw three. White and black tipped reef sharks are intimidating from afar and exhilarating close up. On one of my shark spotting experiences, I was, of course, doing exactly what we were told not to do. I was a little further away from the group and definitely not with my snorkel buddy when I decided to duck-dive down to see what was below me. As I was diving down, I saw a white tipped reef shark. I quickly scurried back to the surface, signaled that there was a shark below but to my dismay he had already wandered off. Nevertheless, this got the blood pumping and I was grinning from ear to ear. I had seen a shark! When back on the surface, the group compared dangerous animal sightings, a grand total coming to four sharks, a massive sting ray and, although it may not be particularly dangerous, a Green Turtle. Energized and thrilled by an amazing snorkel we were then ready to get back to the books.
Well, almost. Before I could get back into the studying mindset, I had to go to the resort and see what was happening in the island’s other time zone, a mere five minute walk away. While there I had the “obligatory” fruity cocktail, sat by the pool and chatted with some other tourists. At which point, the sun began to set. Sunsets on this miniscule island are beautiful, and this one was no exception.
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| The ultimate form of multitasking: Dick doing a little studying while taking in another beautiful sunset. |
In the middle of dinner, a Heron Island researcher told us that he was going to release some laboratory-born turtle hatchlings into the ocean. Naturally, we forgot about our food and rushed outside where we were allowed to hold and take pictures with the hatchlings. Almost everyone got a shot with a turtle, and when it was time, we walked to the ocean and cheered them on as they took their first few strokes in the water.
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| Kathryn and John getting up close and personal with one of the laboratory green turtle hatchlings. |
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| A hatchling turtle, from a different clutch than the laboratory bunch, meeting its first wave. |
As fate would have it, Saturday morning dawned as beautiful as the day before. After some last-minute reviewing, we sat down to our exam and came out of it relieved to have another test behind us. With a little beach time, a light lunch, and some essential beach-side group shots, we were reluctantly ready to leave Heron. We popped some very necessary Dramamine pills and then hopped onto the catamaran that was to take us back to Gladstone and from there, a bus to Brisbane. Almost twelve hours later, with a quick stop in Gin Gin, Queensland for a bite to eat, we made it back into the city. Our reunion with Brisbane was bittersweet; although it held promise of laundry facilities and internet access, it meant leaving behind our little piece of paradise.
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| All of us doing the sign for shark, taught to us for snorkeling purposes. |
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| A last glimpse of the Heron Island jetty, that’s Australian for dock. |
Sunday gave the group a much needed free day and a chance to catch up on the endless emails that had been accumulating. A few brave souls made a day of it by visiting Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art, but most of us simply luxuriated in the quiet peace of doing nothing. Showered, rested and with the sand out of almost every nook and cranny, we are now ready to face everything that Lamington Plateau has to offer.
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| One of the exhibits at the Gallery of Modern Art. |
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