Expedition leaders: Emily Spurgeon and Sorantaa Bain

Crew: Lori, Alex, Lara, Ashley, Jennifer, Melissa, Shivani, BreAnn, and Vaugn

Introduction

Our February expedition to Andros, Bahamas, was nothing short of unforgettable. From hammerheads to tiger sharks, lemon encounters in shallow waters, and hands-on tagging efforts, this trip delivered on excitement, science, and teamwork. The group braved wind, chased sawfish rumors, dove into blue holes, and cleaned up local beaches, making a real impact both on and off the water.

Day 1

We all met at the small Fort Lauderdale airport, buzzing with excitement and getting to know each other as we waited to board. Once we landed in Andros, the island vibes set in quickly. Our trip leader, Emily, gave us a safety rundown and explained all the roles we’d be rotating through on the boat. Before heading out, we spent some time putting together and fixing some gear. Then it was time to hit the water and head out for our first afternoon of fishing.

We didn’t have to wait long. Our first two sharks were reef sharks, and even though most of us were still learning the ropes, everything went smoothly, and they each got a new acoustic tag before being released. To learn more about our tags, CLICK HERE.

Then came the surprise—three tiger sharks in a row! Two of them were recaptured sharks that we tagged last year! When we remeasured them, we saw each one had grown since their last encounter with the team. What a way to start the week!

Day 2

We were up early—breakfast in hand, lunches packed, and gear ready. We set out for the buoy, hoping for a shot at some silky sharks. After waiting for a bit, we spotted one small shark trailing the boat. We set the lines hoping to catch it but before we could even get the second line in the water, the buoy got pulled completely underwater! When we hauled it up, the hook was bent and the bait gone—shark: 1, us: 0. We eventually spotted another silky swimming nearby and even saw one during a snorkel, but unfortunately, the silky sharks evaded us for capture and tagging.

Later in the day, we set lines closer to shore and had better luck—one reef shark, a big nurse shark, and two blacknose. The team worked fast to work up and tag each shark before they all swam off strongly.

Back at the lodge, we prepped more gear and ended the day with a lecture from Emily on the shark species of the Bahamas. It was cool to connect what we’d seen with the science behind it.

Day 3

We began our day with another attempt at the buoy to catch some silkies. While one did come up around the boat, we were unlucky when we threw the lines in and still couldn’t catch it!

Next, we headed towards an area called “The Coffin”, due to the shape of the area, for some snorkeling. Everyone had a lot of fun diving into the blue hole and exploring the area.

After that, we headed out to set the lines in hopes of catching more sharks. First, we got two hits on two different lines. One appeared to be a big shark so we headed to that line first. Unfortunately, by the time we got there the shark had gotten off. So we headed to the other line, and there was a reef, which ended up being a recap! After a quick work up, and new measurements to see if the shark had grown, it was back on its way.

Lastly, as we were getting ready to close up shop for the night, we got two final hits on the lines, and both turned out to be small blacknose.

Day 4

We set out for a new area today, hoping for sharks—and maybe a sawfish sighting that had been reported nearby. No sawfish, but we were treated to a pair of beautiful whiptail rays and a quick snorkel with a southern stingray and tons of reef fish.

Back on the boat, with the lines now in the water, the sharks started showing up. First two nurse sharks, then a solid sized lemon, and finally another nurse. We made one last stop where fishers had seen a sawfish the day before, but still no luck. Maybe next time.

Day 5

We started the day by retrieving one of the acoustic receivers—a cool glimpse into the long-term tracking of tagged sharks.

Then we headed to Shark Hole and set our lines. At 10:22 a.m.—a time Emily had jokingly predicted—we hooked a great hammerhead! It was a fast, clean workup, and the whole team came together perfectly. Eight minutes after that first tug, the shark was safely back on its way. A nurse shark came next, but it got off the line just as we were bringing it in. What a start to the day!

Later, we visited Isla’s Spot, where we waded into the shallows and had lemon sharks swimming right around us, bumping GoPros and checking us out.

In the evening, we caught and tagged another nurse to wrap up an already amazing day.

Day 6

The wind picked up again today, but we still made it out to fish. The lines were quiet until we were reeling them in—and then one buoy went under…it was a tiger! We got her tagged and released, and she gave us a great send-off by swimming alongside the boat on the surface for a while.

After that, it was time to collect more receiver data. A couple of us jumped in as safety divers while Rontaa (and a safety diver) dove and passed the receivers up. It was hands-on and a lot of fun. We ended the day with another one of Emily’s awesome lectures—this time about white sharks. There was some talk about whether we should try another fishing set, but with the weather getting worse, we opted to rest up.

Day 7

Today was sadly our last day. There was some debate about whether to go out and try some more fishing or do a beach clean-up. With the weather being the same as yesterday, and the likelihood of a catch being poor, we had a quick lecture from Emily on shark behavior and then headed out to clean up. We gathered lots of bags of trash, an important reminder about being cognizant of how we throw things away.

Back at the lodge, we quickly packed our stuff and then helped to reorganize the bins full of equipment for future groups.

Finally, we headed to the airport, where we got there a bit early, so Rontaa gave us a wonderful nature walk around it, pointing out various plants and breaking a coconut for us. Then it was time to head home. Until next time!

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 all on the trip for their generosity in allowing us to use their images in this blog and to Melissa for writing the blog.