Expedition leaders: Dr. Phil Matich, Lily Rios-Brady and Sorantaa Bain

Crew: Clara, Hannah, Jason, Kai, Kayla, Lisa and Ryan - Clara had her position on the expedition fully sponsored by Saving the Blue through the Bonnie and David Epstein scholarship program.

Introduction

A week full of adventure, shark tagging, delicious meals, funny stories and new friendships. We caught six different shark species, deployed and retrieved Receivers (listening stations), and had fun in some blue holes! It was a spectacular trip, read all about it below!

This blog was kindly written by research assistant Hannah Richey.

Day 1

Our first day began at the airport. Everyone introduced themselves and then proceeded to get checked in. While preparing the luggage, we received word of bad weather circulating over our flight path from Florida to Andros. After being delayed a few hours, we attempted to fly out, but the weather didn't cooperate, so we turned around and made our way back to Ft. Lauderdale. Due to another delay, we decided to head to lunch and do some debriefing about the trip in the meantime. The pilots were hopeful about boarding, but in the end the weather was deemed unsafe to fly (this was the first time this had ever happened on a Saving the Blue trip!) so we made housing arrangements for the night. The plan was to fly out as early as possible in the morning for Andros. Although day one did not go as planned, there was no change in the positive spirit and energy from the crew. We decided to head to dinner and got the opportunity to walk along the beach afterwards. There were sea turtle nests all along the beach that had been marked off, and we were all excited to get to see them. After some down time from our long day, we headed to the grocery store to pick up some necessities for the morning. We traveled back to the house for the night and got settled in. The excitement for the expedition was still high and we were all looking forward to being in Andros the next day.

Day 2

Today is the day! The morning started bright and early with everyone getting up and ready around 6:30 am. We loaded our luggage into the cars and headed to the airport. The weather was clear in the morning so we were all anticipating a successful flight! We arrived at the airport, we checked in again and had our luggage ready to be loaded. There was no delay this time, and we almost immediately boarded the plane when we arrived. The flight from Ft. Lauderdale to Andros was about an hour. During this time, every eye was lookiang out the window in hopes of seeing some marine life from above (especially looking for sharks of course.) As we approached The Bahamas, the view from the plane was breathtaking. The islands were surrounded by beautiful turquoise water that flowed with the shape of the land. Reefs were spread out throughout, and small specs of life could be seen swimming about. As we began to fly over Andros, Phil pointed out Blue Holes to us and told us some facts about the island. We began our descent onto the runway and made a safe landing at the airport. After making it through customs and taking a taxi ride to the Bonefish Lodge, we finally arrived at our home for the week! Everyone dispersed to their rooms to quickly get settled in and prepared to head out on the boat. We met in the cafeteria area, and Phil briefed us on safety and what to expect for our first day out on the boat.

The crew boarded the boat, we headed out to our first location in search of sharks. Upon our arrival, Phil and Rontaa briefed us on equipment and safety. We had prepared the gear ahead of time so we could begin right away. This process included attaching the ropes and lines to the buoys, and ensuring the weights were secured. After deploying our buoys into the water, it was time to sit back and keep a sharp eye out for any movement. If a shark decides to bite, the buoy will become vertical and will have visible tugging. However, if it's a large shark, the buoy could be tugged completely under or even dragged across the water!

At this time, anticipation was high, and everyone was standing by and waiting for a bite. Some time had passed, and we noticed one of the further buoys beginning to bob up and down and we quickly rode over to investigate. While we approached the buoy, everyone was in position and preparing the tagging equipment. Once we were close enough, we used a gaff to catch the rope attached to the buoy so we could begin pulling it out of the water. As the line was pulled into the boat, a large brown shadow began to emerge from the bottom until it finally broke the surface. Our first shark of the day was a large male nurse! After attempting to reel the shark over to the side of the boat for tagging, he unfortunately spit the line and swam off! However, as soon as we redeployed the gear and began scanning the surface to look for any movement on the others, we spotted one! As we made our way over, we were all determined to make this a successful first tag. Jason, Ryan, and Rontaa quickly removed the buoy and weight from the water while Phil brought the shark to the boat. As it surfaced, we identified the shark to be a big Caribbean Reef. The tagging equipment had already been brought out from the dry storage area under the boat and was ready to go. Hannah and Lisa prepared the tags and assisted Kai and Kayla on data entry to ensure the tag numbers were correct. At this point, Lily had safely secured the shark next to the boat. Phil showed Hannah how to place the two external tags by the dorsal fin. It was time to place an acoustic internal tag and collect measurements. To place an internal tag, the shark is turned upside down, which places it into tonic immobility. During this state, we are able to safely insert an internal tag and can also check the sex of the shark. The acoustic tag is placed into the body cavity of the shark. Each time it passes within 1500 ft (500 m) of a receiver it will send an ID code, time, and date stamp. They have a battery life of ~ 10 years and provide important data that is monitored, such as movement and habitat use. This reef shark in particular was a female and she measured about 4 ft. The data was collected followed by a successful tag. Then we safely released her and she swam off strong!

The rest of the afternoon was hectic but successful! We went on to tag 14 sharks for the day, this included a few more nurses, blacknose, Caribbean reefs, and even a Great Hammerhead! The hammerhead was by far the highlight of the afternoon. Seeing this hammerhead marked it as the 3rd one the team had spotted over the course of 6 days. This event was exciting to witness, Great Hammerheads are critically endangered so the opportunity to see one, and also be able to tag it is crucial and exciting. The process of working up a hammerhead must be precise and efficient for the health and safety of the animal. After quickly collecting measurements and placing the tags, he was safely released and the team was filled with excitement.

Day one was full of delayed flights, but day two was full of sharks and an extremely successful day of tagging. With the grand total coming out to be 14, we packed up the gear and headed back to the lodge to clean up and have dinner. Prior to dinner, Phil provided a lecture about scientific research tools and equipment used in shark research, and gave the team more details about what tagging allows researchers to do and how it benefits shark conservation. At the end of the night, it was time to head back to our rooms and prepare for the next day.

Day 3

We started day three bright and early and planned to head out to the Tongue of the ocean to search for silky sharks. Unfortunately, we didn't have any finned friends come visit us, but we did see plenty of thimble jellyfish, large schools of blue runners, and other small fish and corals that made their home within the crevices of the buoy. We did some freediving and then set out to connect to one of our deep water receivers. Sound emission places key roles in the process of finding and locating a receiver. A device is lowered into the water that emits a frequency that will hopefully ping the receiver and allow us to communicate with it. Then, using an acoustic release, the device is triggered and will detach the receiver from the anchor, allowing it to float to the surface with a buoy.

After successfully connecting to our deep water receiver, we moved on to the shallows and prepped for a snorkel in search of another receiver. While keeping an eye out for the receiver, we explored shallow reefs and saw a variety of fish species including wrasses, soldierfish, tangs, and more. The team was able to recover several of the shallow water receivers and inturn were able to download the data to a computer. The downloaded data will tell us how many sharks, as well as other marine life, have been detected on the receiver.

After accomplishing the data collection, we set out on our final important mission of the day. We were entrusted with deploying a special receiver honoring the memory of two very close friends of Saving the Blue, Bonnie and David Epstein. It was carefully hand painted with their names and we took great care in ensuring its deployment. The receiver was deployed in a handpicked location that held sincere importance and special memories of Bonnie, David, and those close to them. Phil and Clara were able to brave the waves and current and had a successful dive to the bottom where they anchored the receiver, took pictures and videos, and then swam back to the boat.

There was some harsh weather approaching in the distance, so we packed up the gear, broke down equipment, and set a course back to the lodge. Prior to returning, we cleaned up, had a delicious dinner courtesy of the Bonefish Lodge, and finished the night with another educational lecture from Phil about the Sharks of the Bahamas.

Day 4

We woke up on day four to a partly cloudy day with a slight chance of rain over us. The team met for breakfast and had a quick briefing on the objectives for the day. Next it was time to head out on the boat and prepare for another day full of research and sharks! Our first mission was to deploy baited remote underwater video rigs, also known as BRUVs. These BRUVs provide another sampling approach to research that includes a baited box located in the front, along with a waterproof camera. This allows us to identify species, the number seen, and size of the animals. It is crucial in providing additional data and information that can be used to understand shark distribution patterns.

After deploying two of the BRUV rigs, we prepared the drumline buoys and set out to a new location to find sharks. We arrived and began to deploy the drumlines, but the weather began to dangerously pick up and we had to make the quick decision to bring the gear out of the water and make a safe trip back before the waves got too rough. Once we had the buoys in the boat, some of the team began breaking down the gear and putting away all the tagging boxes in the dry storage. Our boat captain, Stevano, safely moved us back to the location with the BRUVs, and the team brought the rigs out of the water. It began raining heavily, the wave swells were growing, and the wind was becoming stronger. Our team moved quickly, took apart the gear, and strapped everything back into place. Now it was time to navigate our way home in the storm and ensure everyone's safety. Once we made it back to shore, we waited out the storm for a little over an hour before it cleared up.

The storm had passed, and we set back out to the same locations and redeployed the BRUVs and drumlines. The weather was at-bay but it was still drizzling throughout our time on the water. We resumed waiting and watching for any bites on the drumlines and were hopeful for some sharks despite the weather. Our first bite of the day was a Caribbean reef shark, followed by a nurse, and then another Caribbean reef shark.

After ensuring the data was collected, it was time to load up the gear and head back to shore. At the lodge, the team had dinner and then gathered together to analyze the BRUV footage captured from today. We had a nurse shark visit the rig, as well as some barracuda and other reef fish. Although the day was delayed and rainy, we still were able to tag some sharks and obtain great footage. Phil debriefed us on the day and what to expect in the morning, and then it was time to get some rest for the next day.

Day 5

Day five began with an early breakfast and a team meeting about the plans for the morning. Our first objective was to redeploy our ProShot & Tidal Sports sponsored receiver that we had retrieved and downloaded the day before. Once the boat arrived in the location where the receiver had been found, Phil did a quick freedive deployment and then it was off to a new site to set up the drumlines.

We selected a backreef area of the island that shielded us from the wind that was still lingering from the previous storms. After we arrived, the gear was put together and each of the drumlines were deployed into the water. The boat sat a fair distance away to ensure no sharks would be deterred in the process. It was a bit of a slow morning with much anticipation for captures. We were unsure if the lack of sharks had to do with the current weather conditions, shifting tides, or if there was possibly a larger shark in the area that was causing the others to be cautious. After some time, we had a bite on one of the drumline buoys and made our way over to it. A large Caribbean reef shark was on the line! Each reef shark is fitted with two external tags and one internal acoustic tag, each of these collecting significant data on the shark's whereabouts and movements. The tag and release was without fault and the reef shark swiftly swam away.

Now it was back to the waiting game and our eyes were back on the horizon for any sign of a moving buoy. The day continued to be slow until we got another bite from another reef shark that was tagged and then safely released. By the end of the day we had caught, tagged, and released 4 nurse sharks and four reef sharks. Each nurse shark was fitted with two external tags, and each reef was fitted with two externals and one internal. Although the day was slow, we still finished the day with 8 sharks and a full data sheet! We collected the drum lines, put away the gear, and made our way back to the lodge for another delicious dinner. At the end of the night, we helped with data entry on the computer and finished off with another lecture and briefing about the next morning.

Day 6

Our last full day in Andros started with an early breakfast and team briefing on the plans for the day. We had planned to search in another new backreef location for sharks and had goals of locating new species that we had not yet tagged. With big goals set for the day, the team was full of ambition and loaded the boat for another day on the water. The weather was calm and clear, so we hoped for a successful day ahead of us. After loading up the boat and preparing the gear, we left the lodge and headed to the new site. Once we arrived, the team prepped the gear and placed the drumline buoys in the water. One of the buoys began to dip underwater and was thrashing back and forth. We made it to the buoy, grabbed the rope out of the water with the hook, pulled in the gear, and began bringing the shark carefully to the boat. An impressively large reef shark surfaced. After securing it next to the boat, tags were placed by the shark's dorsal fin. Measurements were then taken and marked on the data sheet. During this time, an acoustic tag was also inserted carefully into the shark's body cavity. As soon as the tagging was complete, we safely released it and continued to wait for more sharks. Our luck picked up, as soon as we released the reef we had multiple sharks on the buoys. All five were large nurse sharks, one of them was possibly pregnant! Each one was tagged and released quickly and efficiently.

Soon after, we had another bite on the drumline. It seemed as if it was another reef shark based on how the buoy was moving. As the shadowy outline approached the surface, a stripe reflected off the water. It was a juvenile tiger shark! When tiger sharks are young, their stripes are much more defined. In this case, we knew instantly that it was a tiger. Two external tags were placed onto the shark, followed by a safe release. After releasing the tiger shark, we went on to tag and release another reef and nurse shark.

There was a short amount of time in between before we had another shark on the line, however this one was much different. The buoy began to drag across the surface and completely move from its anchored position. A large dorsal fin broke the surface for a split second. We wasted no time in catching up with the moving buoy, as time is sensitive when it comes to larger species, especially hammerheads. Yet again we had another Great Hammerhead on our drumline. Phil, Rontaa, and Jason worked quickly to bring the large shark to the boat, but the mere strength of it was enough to completely bend the hook straight and spit it out. The opportunity to tag was missed, although having another hammerhead sighting is great news. Our final two sharks of the day were nurses, after which we collected the drumline gear and set a course back to the lodge.

We ended our last full day on a high note with having seen another hammerhead and tagging several new species for the week! Once we arrived at the lodge, we unloaded the boat and headed to our rooms to clean up for our final dinner. After dinner, we sat together and spoke about our favorite parts about the expedition and how our time in Andros will not be forgotten, nor will it be the last.

Day 7

For our last morning in Andros, we woke up early, ate breakfast, and set out to a new backreef location in hopes to find an abundance of sharks. Our main goal was to locate and tag blacktip reef sharks. Blacktips are also sociable creatures and spend most of their time in reef inhabited areas. Reef sharks are known to play key ecological roles in coral reef systems due to their predation and population control in the ecosystem. As usual, we set up five drumline buoys that were spaced apart and formed a circular region around the reef. We anchored the boat close to an area of mangrove trees and waited for action.

As we were waiting, we saw a pair of dorsal fins peeking through the mangroves. However, these fins did not belong to multiple sharks, just one, a lemon shark. Lemons are known for their distinctive second dorsal fin and bright yellow/sandy color. Mangroves make great nursery habitats for juvenile sharks. They allow the complex root system to act as a shield from larger predators awaiting them in the open ocean. The sharks will feed and grow in the nursery and then will leave for open water once they are larger. As we were watching, one of the buoys began to move so we made our way over to check it out. The team brought the shark to the boat and got to work. Our first tag of the day was a large nurse shark that had a beautiful color pattern on its skin. Shark skin is made up of tiny flat V-shaped scales, called dermal denticles, that are more like teeth than fish scales. These denticles decrease drag and turbulence, allowing the shark to swim faster and more quietly. Nurse shark skin can have a variety of color patterns, this one in particular had blue, tan, and brown details.

Our next tags consisted of several more nurse sharks and a new tagged species for the week, a lemon shark! This shark was our last tag of the trip, and had a successful release. We loaded the drumline gear back into the boat and made our way back to shore. The boat ride was bittersweet since this was the last time we would be out on the water, but everyone felt content with our overall accomplishments. We had tagged 6 different species of sharks throughout the week, encountered two hammerheads, and collected a variety of key data from receivers, BRUVs, and tags. Once the boat docked, it was time to gather our things, head to the airport, and prepare for the flight home. In the car, everyone spoke about their time in Andros and how special of an opportunity we had. The knowledge, friendships, and memories we made will always be a special experience. At the airport, we quickly made it through security and boarded our flight to Ft Lauderdale. On our flight, we saw sharks swimming below and watched as the islands of the

Bahamas faded further from view as we approached Florida, almost as if they were waving goodbye. We left Andros and landed in Ft Lauderdale full of new memories, an abundance of knowledge, and an experience none of us will ever forget. For some, it was a trip of experience, and for others it was a step into their career field. In one way or another, we all left feeling motivated for what was to come, and looked forward to the next trip back to Andros.

Thank you

Thank you to our research trip leaders Dr. Phil Matich, Lily Rios-Brady 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 Stevano 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.