Waking up beach side with not a worry in the world and a cup of hot chocolate at hand, junior Kyle West spent April 5-April 14 on the Andros islands with 26 Biology II classmates. This biannual trip to the Bahamas has become a tradition at FHS since 1987, and is not only an experience of a lifetime, but also an educational field study trip.

            To begin the day, students met at 8 a.m. for breakfast, but until then they were free to do whatever they pleased.

            “Most mornings I would wake up early and watch the sunrise,” junior Kelcie Hall said. “We dragged our sleeping bags out to a dock and slept outside for a night.”

            After breakfast, the group would gather their gear and head off to a land or boat trip. Boat trips usually consisted of snorkeling in cays or in oceanic blue holes. Senior Sarah Millard overcame a fear while diving in a blue hole.

            “I am terrified of sharks, and the day we went to the blue hole, the Tongue of the Ocean, I just jumped in without thinking,” Millard said. “One of the interns gave me a conch shell to drop. As I watched it sink, I realized I had nothing to worry about and I wasn’t afraid anymore.”

            After exploring the island all day, students would gather back at the research base and enjoy a dinner prepared by Bahamian natives. Students spoke very highly of the natives and how friendly and welcoming they were to the group.

            Staying at a research center with college interns, the students would listen to a lecture on what to expect in the next day of exploring. Lecture subjects consisted of wildlife, coral reefs, and the natural habitat on the island.

            Science teacher Jennifer Copperthite accompanied the students as a chaperone. Snorkeling in the oceanic blue holes was one of her favorite memories of the trip.

            “You could see the water spiraling down with the current and the fish in columns in the water,” Copperthite said.

            Most students stressed how amazing the experience was. In able to go, you must be enrolled in the George Murphy’s Biology II class the year of the trip. This once-in-a lifetime opportunity comes around in two years, so be sure to sign up.

            “It’s great seeing the students be so excited about learning in the Bahamas,” Murphy said.