Expedition leaders: Emily Spurgeon and Sorantaa Bain

Crew: Candace, Dani, Debbie, Evan, Gabby, Kaylee, and Kenzie

Introduction

The week was full of sharks, adventures, laughs, learning, and a group of people coming together for one of the best experiences of our lives! This expedition was a Hybrid which meant half the trip would be dedicated to research, and the other half to fun and adventure!

Day 1

Our day began at a small, private airport in Florida. Some of us were brand new to working with Saving the Blue, while others were returning for their third and tenth time! Unfortunately, Annie wasn’t able to join us, but field tech and social media editor Gabby Lozada graciously stepped in to perfectly round out our group. Even Tristan stopped by to wish us well and see us off. For those of us who had never met him before, it was an exciting moment!

Introductions were made, gear was loaded, and we boarded our 9-passenger plane to Andros.

It didn’t take long for us to load up the boat and get out onto the water, and our first day did not disappoint – We tagged a reef shark, and then a male nurse shark, who we were able to take our first blood sample from!

At the end of the day, the team enjoyed the first of several insightful lectures by research and field technician Emily Spurgeon, whose passion for sharks is both exuberant and infectious!

This was a great start to an unforgettable trip, one which would see many different shark species as well as other beautiful marine animals.

Day 2

Day 2 brought us to the Tongue of the Ocean, a deep-water basin plunging to depths of over 6,000 feet (2,000 meters)! Here, we swam with silky sharks – highly migratory oceanic sharks with velvet-like skin – and later tagged several of them as well.

We also worked with nurse sharks and Caribbean reef sharks, in addition to snorkeling a beautiful blue hole and vibrant coral reefs.

The team gained hands-on experience recording data, preparing tags, setting lines, and identifying different sharks throughout the day. All while being surrounded by the iconic turquoise waters of the Bahamas!

Day 3

Day 3 was our “land” day, in which we swam at Captain Bill’s Blue Hole, after first jumping off a 15’ foot platform into the beautiful brackish water of this 100’+ deep natural sinkhole!

We then conducted a clean-up of a local beach, and stopped at Brigadier’s Restaurant for a delicious lunch. From there, we went to a spot full of lemon sharks! We even got to see three babies swimming around in the warm water. This was a treat for everyone!

Back at the lodge, we had yet another amazing dinner (we were truly spoiled this week!) before Emily regaled us with a lecture on shark behavior. We spent some time outside by the tiki bar, where a few lemon sharks cruised by to our delight. There’s just something so peaceful about seeing a shark, unbothered, in its natural habitat.

Day 4

Day 4 was another exciting day, spent searching for the elusive smalltooth sawfish! Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see any of these amazing creatures on this trip, but we know they’re out there, just incredibly rare!

We did, however, get to see a gorgeous spotted eagle ray, and a southern ray; a barracuda, a huge cubera snapper; and of course, sharks! Today brought us nurse sharks and a beautiful female tiger (the first of our trip)!

We snorkeled near a stunning mangrove forest, in which a baby lemon shark was peacefully swimming. Seeing mangroves from beneath the waves is a truly awe-inspiring experience.

Back at the lodge, the team searched for conch shells, had another wonderful family dinner, and finished the night with a hilarious game of Head’s Up!

Day 5

We searched high and low for hammerheads today, but to no avail! They eluded us this entire trip, making it that much more special the next time one is spotted! But, we were still graced by the presence of nurse sharks, blacknose and sharpnose sharks, and reef sharks while out on the boat.

We retrieved some receivers for data analysis, and then made our way to Isla’s Spot where we shared the water with many different lemon sharks of all ages and sizes! This was one of the most exciting adventures for our team, getting to be up-close and personal with such a fun species!

Your opinion of sharks is sure to change once you share the water with them. There is nothing quite like it.

We wrapped up our evening back at the lodge with a mini lecture by Emily, and then fresh island coconuts and mangoes for dessert! This was a very special treat for everyone.  

Day 6

Today was a full day of fishing, with a few “team dunks” to cool off during the day. The sun was hot, but our experience was very cool – spotting a bottlenose dolphin and a huge loggerhead turtle! It was awesome to get to see so many different types of marine life on this trip.

We worked with lemon sharks and nurse sharks today, before heading over to an island inhabited by Andros’ endemic rock iguanas! They were colorful and curious, and the team had a lot of fun seeing these big lizards.

Day 7

Day 7 brought more receiver retrievals, and fishing, which drew in tiger sharks, reef sharks, and a female bull shark – a first for all of the guests! This was one of the most exciting days for everyone! The bull was beautiful, and had been previously tagged by a group in Panama City, Florida. We’re all curious to see where she goes from here, and hope to see her again in the Bahamas.

Before the day was out, we completed a snorkel at another picturesque reef, in which we saw a spotted stingray and muttonfish, as well as sea cucumbers and big, brightly-colored sea stars.

It was another good day.

Day 8

No one was ready to go home today, so we knew we had to have one last hurrah before we left. We spent the morning out on the boat, cruising around. We spotted a nurse shark from a distance, another turtle, and one final stingray.

After a few short hours, we returned to the dock and the lodge. We took tons of pictures together, exchanged phone numbers and social media accounts to keep in touch, and packed our things to go.

It was a wonderful week creating friendships that will last a lifetime, while sharing a passion for sharks and the ocean with great people. We learned a lot, laughed a lot, and had countless memorable experiences.

Thank you to the entire team at Saving the Blue, the Andros Island Bonefish Club for their hospitality, and especially to Marvin – our beloved boat captain and friend.

Until next time, Andros!

Thank you

Thank you to our research trip leaders Emily Spurgeon and Sorantaa Bain for guiding the team through an incredibly successful week. A huge thank you to our research assistants for their passion, determination and endless enthusiasm to work hard, learn and produce results. We would also like to thank the Andros Island Bonefish Club for their hospitality, and the hardworking and ever professional Marvin for his top class boating and captaining skills.

Gratitude must also go to Candace Drabeck for writing this blog and Gabby Lozada for her generosity in allowing us to use her images.