Reflection: Sean

I was a bit hesitant to go on this trip initially, especially after the briefing warning about all the dangerous creatures that could poison or paralyse you if you accidentally stepped on one of them. Surely I could just look at videos of these creatures in the dry comfort of the classroom?

When we arrived, I realised my fears were unfounded. Walking among the rich ecosystem of living creatures felt strangely natural. Every time someone found another animal, everyone in the group rushed to look and take pictures of it.

While some of the information was already taught in class, such as the nature of the sponges and corals, the tour guide showed us many details of every species we found that we could never have covered satisfactorily in the module itself. For example, he taught us about how the shells of cowrie snails are so shiny due to the mantle wrapping around to clean it, and the stunning behaviour of the pistol shrimp. We also learned how to recognise if a large animal was approaching; we did see some ripples approaching the outer edge of the intertidal zone, but unfortunately the large animals causing those ripples never came close enough for us to see them.

Ultimately, pictures and videos can never replicate the knowledge and understanding gained from really being with the animals, and the trip left me wondering what else I was missing beyond the scope of the current biodiversity module, with a renewed passion for biology.