Hi from sunny Hawaii! Actually it's not sunny today, but has been for the most part. I know you are wondering, what is she doing in Maui? Well, I am thrilled to be participating in a Research Internship with the Ocean Mammal Institute! I arrived on Jan 3 and will be departing on Jan 21. There are about 25 interns here doing:
- Studying the biology and behavior of whales and dolphins while you observe and record their spectacular behaviors.
- Learning and applying the principles of field research design on the impact of boats on the behavior of the humpback whale.
- Gaining a personal understanding of the politics of protecting endangered species. Learning about current research on whales and dolphins around the world and related conservation issues.
- Being introduced to the field of Ecopsychology which studies the relationship between humans and the natural world.
We are broken down into teams of 4 or 5. We go out into the field, which is a mountain side, set up a theodolite (surveyors type equipment with 30x magnification), have a data recorder, and people on binoculars as spotters. We look for and watch humpback whales, track there movement and then watch for boat interactions. We do this for 4 hours per day. Then we have about 4 hours to analyze and report the data we recorded in the field, and in this time we also work on reading articles. In the evening we have about 2 hours of evening lecture to go over our articles and continue learning!
I am having a wonderful time, learning a ton and enjoying Hawaii. I don't have too much free to get out on the island, but the pure beauty here is amazing. I cannot help but admire and enjoy my surroundings. I will post some pictures and more info on this soon.
On a side note, I achieved my goal of getting all A's in my fall semester of pre-requisites towards veterinary school! Woot Woot! Now onto the next semester...
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