Programs Blog

Author: Daryl Furno, Colgate University

Today, the crew woke up on Gump Station on the beautiful Island of Moorea’ at 7am for
breakfast. We then headed over to the classroom at 8am for classes until 11am. Today was
snorkel day! After classes, we packed up our lunches and headed over to the local beach,
Public Beach Ta’ahiamanu. After a short knot tying lesson to prepare us for the boat, we got the
chance to snorkel in the unparalleled coral reef of Tahiti! We saw many creatures including sea
snakes, rays, parrot fish, puffer fish, and more! We were hoping to catch a glimpse of some
black tipped reef sharks, which frequently mingle around the reef, but unfortunately didn’t spot
any today. Then we went back to Gump for afternoon classes until 5 pm, where we learned
about Polnesian WayFinding techniques, where they used birds and wave currents to find lost
islands at sea. We also discussed the controversies behind commercial fisheries and seabed
mining. We finished off the day playing volleyball in the sunset and watching the third season of
Bridgerton!

Daryl Furno

PS: Hey mom, don’t worry, I’m okay! I miss you, the family, and Chicken. Ain’t no mountain high
enough!