Time to call it quits. Sadly, today marks the last full day at the Gerace Research Center. It is a bittersweet feeling and most people wish that they could hide and stay. We woke up this morning focused and ready to go. We had a healthy breakfast consisting of eggs, grits, muffins, and toast. After breakfast we had a little bit of time to cram before we took the final exam. After much anticipation and hard work, the final was over and we were on to the rest of our last day. Our last lunch consisted of hamburgers and French fries, which reminded us all of the food that awaits us back in the states. After lunch we quickly loaded up the truck and took off for our favorite spot, Grotto Beach. Grotto was talked about in an earlier blog when we were at the halfway point of the trip. Many of us did not believe that the beach could look any more beautiful, but we were mistaken. Today as the truck pulled up the hill to Grotto Beach, we were all breath taken by the stunning sight of sunlight glistening off of the crystal clear water. As we walked up to the pavilion that sits overlooking the beach, the reefs that sit close off of shore were easily visible through the water.
Normally when someone yells shark, it is a bad thing and people begin to panic, but today, right as we set our towels down, we heard the screeches of one of our classmates yelling, “SHARK”!! We all sprinted to the beach where we saw two large sharks swimming down the shoreline. It was an incredible sight and the few who had not seen the sharks earlier in the trip were very pleased to see these two from so close. After all of this excitement so early on, the group spent the rest of the day relaxing on the beautiful beach, enjoying our last beach trip as a group. Some napped, but the majority of the group played in the water and collected shells. It was a perfect relaxing last trip to the beach after three hard weeks of class and research. Tonight was our last class and we talked about our research projects and went over the plan for the long day of travel that awaits us tomorrow. Our group has come so close over the last twenty-two days, and it is strange to be at the end. We are going to enjoy our last night here on San Salvador, and tomorrow will be bittersweet. We are excited to see our family and friends but sad to leave this incredible place. All day we have heard from many of the students and professors, “I can’t believe that it is already over. It feels like we just got here yesterday.” Thanks for tuning in to the Wittenberg Bahamas Blog 2014. From here in San Salvador, Bahamas, we will see you soon.
Becah Delp ‘16
Max Jump 17’
Jenny Lehman 17’
Brent Whitehead 17’