Island Times Blog

Day 9 / June 24 – What a great day full of island fun! We began the day with a turtle tagging session that was a success… with a little luck on our side, we caught a large green sea turtle. This was the first time most of our students had ever seen a turtle in the wild, let alone up close and personal. The turtle tagging and monitoring program is a collaborative project in which some SeaTrek staff members work with the BVI Conservation and Fisheries Department and Association of Reef Keepers to get trained and certified to capture and tag hawksbill and green turtles in the area.  This turtle was a recaptured turtle so the data will be especially important in terms of learning more about green turtle distribution and growth rates. Then we headed for Sandy Cay Preserve and hiked the Lizard Loop trail, observing some cool wildlife (birds, lizards) along the way. Next, it was time to play in the sand and enjoy some beach time. Afterwards, we went to Great Harbour to meet up with Susan of the JVD Preservation Society and our special Guest Lecturer, Dr. Stuart Weiss, an agroecologist from the University of the Virgin Islands (St. Croix) Agriculture Research Station. We also got to meet Foxy Callwood and tour their latest project, a traditional terrace-style farm that will be used for educational and sustainable food resources. We even got to get our hands dirty and help replant banana tree propagules, as well as a lemon tree. After dinner we took a swim to a small cay called Sandy Spit – talk about being in a real life post card!