Over the past two weeks my life has been filled with a lot of new experiences. Some of them will inevitably fade out of my memory as time passes. Others will forever remain as crystal clear images flowing through my mind, accompanied by warm feelings and indescribable emotions. One such experience happened just a few nights ago while rowing to the lab for bed.
It was about 10:00 pm and we were all exhausted from a long day of fieldwork and an exciting night out in Skibbereen. Being that the Gate House is only large enough for four people, Cynthia, Caitlin and I have been staying the night in the bedrooms above the lab. This requires a boat trip across the lough, since there is no road or trail for us to walk on. On this particular night, Cynthia was in Cork for the arrival of another member of our team, so Caitlin and I had no choice but to row (usually we take the power boat). Now, the row across the Lough is no easy task when there are wind and waves to battle, so we weren’t really looking forward to it. We considered bunking at the Gate House but decided to leave it up to Mother Nature. Upon arrival at our boat we were greeted with nothing but silence and crystal clear skies. Not even the smallest breeze could be felt. And, if only to make the whole experience that much more enjoyable, the water displayed a flawless reflection of the constellations blanketing us from above.
Though the beauty was enough to take our breaths away, we couldn’t help but sense a slight eeriness. However, the feeling dissipated with a single stroke of the oars. Suddenly, there was a plume of minty blue light surrounded by the blackness of the lough. Our mouths dropped as we both came to the same realization: bioluminescence! The dinoflagellates (microscopic algae) in the water had been disturbed by the oars and produced a magnificent blue light. Neither of us could take our eyes away. The whole way home we left a shimmering blue trail behind us. By the time we made it to our beds, our eyes were sparkling with delight. We both fell asleep feeling warm and thankful to be here.
By Carly Otis
It was about 10:00 pm and we were all exhausted from a long day of fieldwork and an exciting night out in Skibbereen. Being that the Gate House is only large enough for four people, Cynthia, Caitlin and I have been staying the night in the bedrooms above the lab. This requires a boat trip across the lough, since there is no road or trail for us to walk on. On this particular night, Cynthia was in Cork for the arrival of another member of our team, so Caitlin and I had no choice but to row (usually we take the power boat). Now, the row across the Lough is no easy task when there are wind and waves to battle, so we weren’t really looking forward to it. We considered bunking at the Gate House but decided to leave it up to Mother Nature. Upon arrival at our boat we were greeted with nothing but silence and crystal clear skies. Not even the smallest breeze could be felt. And, if only to make the whole experience that much more enjoyable, the water displayed a flawless reflection of the constellations blanketing us from above.
Though the beauty was enough to take our breaths away, we couldn’t help but sense a slight eeriness. However, the feeling dissipated with a single stroke of the oars. Suddenly, there was a plume of minty blue light surrounded by the blackness of the lough. Our mouths dropped as we both came to the same realization: bioluminescence! The dinoflagellates (microscopic algae) in the water had been disturbed by the oars and produced a magnificent blue light. Neither of us could take our eyes away. The whole way home we left a shimmering blue trail behind us. By the time we made it to our beds, our eyes were sparkling with delight. We both fell asleep feeling warm and thankful to be here.
By Carly Otis