Will this Jaws have a sequel?

Before - pale, brown haired crew cut, and sporting a nice double chin

In the grand scheme of post-college experiences, I've found a diamond in the rough.  It's been no secret that, as of late, the job market for recent graduates is about as penetrable as an abstinent Catholic eskimo girl with a black-belt and a gun.  While the jobs are slowly resurfacing in hilarious, ironic ways (Bret's a laxer), the golden ticket that once was a college degree has seemingly lost some luster.  Grad school was a good option, and, to all of my friends reading this as you near the end of either your first year, or, for those who've finished, your first beer, congrats, you'll be making much more money a lot sooner than me...

However, while web surfing aimlessly during Music 100 lectures senior year, I stumbled across my own answer to that evil fucking question drilled into the ears of every approaching graduate, "What's next?"  

Sharks and the Bahamas, that's what was next.   

It took a long time, seven months, to find out if i'd been accepted, and I would've been crushed if I got rejected.  But I didn't, and the past four months have played out more like a surreal vacation than an "internship".  While I knew I'd see and do some cool things while I was here, my experience has well surpassed even my highest expectations.  

As far as the sharks are concerned, I've been in the water with nine species including, among others, large tigers, bulls, and hammerheads.  I've held juvenile lemon sharks on a daily basis and, like today, held them while surgery was performed to implant a transmitter.  I've even seen and held newborn lemon sharks, still with an umbilical cord and placental sac, only moments after watching their mother give birth to them.  While some people would pay good money to go out fishing for barracuda, i've gone multiple times as part of a day's "work", and can now hold my breath for nearly two-and-a-half minutes after much practice free diving and spear fishing.  

Then there's the people.  It's rare to ever find yourself completely surrounded by people with very similar interests.  It's even more rare to have that situation arise on a small, secluded Bahamian island with little else but your house, an airport, a restaurant, and two bars with sandy floors.  Needless to say, i've made some amazing friends and, living together in a glorified double-wide, we all know each other a little too well.  

 I've had a lot of downtime here and, like this time last year, I find myself wondering what's next.  I'm beginning to acknowledge that I really am wired for science, and I actually think that, if i do choose to pursue biology, I'd like to work with sharks.  However, the realist in me knows nobody's wallet has ever grown very fat researching an animal most of the world loves to hate, and I still struggle with making a commitment.  Having said that, thinking about leaving on saturday is already making me miss sharks in a very personal way, and I'm not sure I will find another path as rewarding as working with these animals that I love. 

Finally, I'd like to thank everyone who's been reading this blog the past few months.  Although I admittedly did lose a little steam with the blog, i've really enjoyed writing about my experience down here and honestly hope that it's been interesting to read.  I'm considering continuing to write about environmental issues I find interesting, and so I would really like to hear what you've though about my blog and if you would honestly continue to read what I write.  So, if you're reading this, please don't hesitate to write a comment and let me know what you think.

-Tyler

After...