Whale Sharks, Conservation Wins and Self-Care

A whale shark swimming past us on our dive in the Maldives

I recently returned from a whirlwind of travel, and as I prepare for another exciting week of fieldwork, I can’t help but look back at the past month and a half and think, “Holy cow, I just did all that!”

But let me start over. It all started on April 10th, I had to make a drive down to the Florida Keys to begin a captive study experiment with bonnethead sharks. What was extra special about this trip is that my dad flew down to join me and assist with the fieldwork. This was the first time my dad had gotten to see me in action in the field, so it was a really exciting time. He got to see us catch and transport our very first shark, and it was a very special experience. After I got the team situated with the sharks, I had to drive back up to Sarasota to lead a fundraising experience for 12 donors who got to experience all the activities we do with campers. It was a busy week, especially since that same week, my bathroom was getting torn apart because my pipes collapsed and had to be replaced (what a nightmare!).

The following week, I had to fly to Washington, DC because the House of Representatives was set to vote on the ESA Amendments Act (aka the Westerman Bill). Which was a bill that would have completely gut the Endangered Species Act. A bunch of constituents, like me, who were concerned the bill would limit the use of the best available science in species protection decisions, increase opportunities for political and industry influence, and make it more difficult to designate and protect critical habitat. By reducing federal oversight and shifting decision-making away from independent scientific review, the legislation could undermine one of the nation’s most successful conservation laws and slow recovery efforts for threatened and endangered species. We all flew to DC to warn our representatives that weakening the ESA risks accelerating biodiversity loss at a time when many species already face mounting pressures from habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, and other human impacts. I got to spend two days walking up and down Capitol Hill with 11 other Floridians representing organizations dedicated to protecting Florida wildlife. It was a heck of a way to spend Earth Day, but in the end, it was worth it because the bill was pulled from the House floor! I love celebrating these conservation wins, even if they may be short-lived (the fight always continues). That energy carried me through the rest of the week to our community event on Saturday, where I got to do some #CosplayForScience during a Spongebob-themed block party where I got to do some science communication about the ocean dressed as Mr. Krabs from Spongebob.

The next week is when things started to get wild and I embarked on what I’m sure will be one of the most epic adventures of my lifetime. Every 4 years shark scientists around the world come together for a large conference called Sharks International, and this year, it was in Sri Lanka. Since I had to fly halfway around the world to attend the conference, I decided to milk it. First, I decided to apply all of my airline miles I have collected over the years (because, as you can tell, I spend a LOT of time on airplanes) to splurge on a business class ticket for the long flight. Let me tell you, that was an experience in and of itself! Then, while I was in Sri Lanka, I decided to skip one day of the talks and conference activities and go on a day trip to do a safari in Yala National Park. The amount of biodiversity and cool wildlife in that park was truly breathtaking! But the fun times didn’t stop there. After the conference, me and my friend flew to the Maldives to stay a few days at a dive resort in Dhigurah. We had some AMAZING dives. I got to dive with whale sharks in the wild for the very first time! I’m going to be honest, I cried in my mask a little. We also saw whitetip reef sharks, blacktip reef sharks, sea turtles, eagle rays, eels lobsters, and tons of other beautifully vibrant invertebrates and tropical fish. It’s always great to dive along healthy reefs, and it was some of the best diving I’m sure I will get to experience in my lifetime.

After a few days in the Maldives, I said goodbye to my friend, who had to get back to the USA for her cousin’s high school graduation, but I had one more stop to make. About a year ago, one of my best friends moved to Thailand. I hate when my friends move far away because I don’t get to see them as often, but it gives me a great excuse to travel! So, I decided to visit them and made a last stop in Thailand before coming home. They live in Bangkok, and I was excited to explore the city, but as an added bonus, they surprised me by booking us a little mini trip to Krabi on the coast of Thailand! I have to say it’s a beautiful country, and I see why my friend loves it there so much. We got to see cool temples, meet incredible artists, explore the Phi Phi Islands, relax in the hot springs, take a dip in the Emerald Pool, visit an elephant sanctuary, snorkel with bioluminescent algae, and my friend even peer pressured me into climbing 1,260 stairs to visit a temple on the top of a mountain (which I’m going to be honest was a beautiful view that I will probably never see again because I never want to climb that many stairs again, haha). Finally, after 3 incredible weeks in Southeast Asia, it was time to come home.

I QUICKLY had to jump back into reality and drive down the very next day to the Florida Keys to help the team wrap up the captive study with the bonnethead sharks, then we drove all the gear back, unpacked, and repacked to do field work in NC. I spent ONE night in my own bed, and we were off again. After a week in the field, we returned. I spent, once again, ONE night in my own bed, lead the orientation for the interns we have this summer, and hopped on a plane to go back to Washington, DC for World Oceans Week and Upwell. Oceans Week is a busy time because EVERYONE wants to host a program that week. So, I took a quick train ride up to New York City to speak at an event for the Explorers Club, flew back home for, you guessed it, one night in my own bed, participated in a workshop with my local estuary program, and then headed to Miami to speak at an ocean week event there. Then finally, I got to come home for a whole week! I spent the week catching up on emails, doing some meetings I wasn’t able to do because of travel, and most importantly, relaxing, reading, playing video games, and going to a waterpark. This was a week of self-care and reflection. I went back through all my photos and thought about the whirlwind of the past two months, and I feel incredibly blessed (and admittedly tired) by this wonderfully chaotic life I lead, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. So now, as I prepare to head out once again for a week of sleepaway camp with my metaphorical cup refilled, I can’t wait for my next adventure.