Junior Rangers Lionfish Field Trip!

We recently took the junior rangers out on a field trip to learn about the invasive lionfish that are eating everything on the reefs, and what we do to try and control their populations (shoot them!).  I used scuba below while the kids snorkeled on the surface and watched me catch lionfish (well, only one small one that day).  We also saw lots of pretty corals, a nurse shark, and a sting ray!

Explaining how to use a hawaiian sling

Getting in the water!

Underwater Hi-Five

Bubbles! 

Checking out the catch of the day

Of course there is always time for flipping off the boat!

Love these kids!

For those of you wondering what a lionfish looks like.  This one was really tiny! Underwater they look much more beautiful (and bigger too!)

Dissection time! 

Future marine biologists in the making: "Can I look inside the mouth? Can I touch the heart? Can I hold it? Eeww! Coooool."  I was so proud! (and yes, we had already cut off the poisonous spines at this point)

The Canons don't thunder, there's nothing to plunder

So I've been thinking it would be cool to show you glimpses of my Caribbean life through sets of photos with a theme... kinda like an art project I guess (minus the fact that I'm not a very skilled photographer).  I was recently looking through my pictures and noticed that there were a good amount involving a canon... not too many, but enough for me to notice the theme.  So without further ado, I unveil my favorites from "The Canon Collection":    :P

Me: St. Martin

St. Martin

Mom: St. Martin

Fort Oranjestad, Statia

Nat: Look What I found!

Unruly Boys, Stubborn Canon

Fort De Windt, Statia