Marine Ecology Coast Trip

So, we just got back yesterday from our ten days at the coast.  The trip was fantastic and we saw a lot of the coast.  We started off in the north at the Congal Research Station, near Muisne.  While there, we explored several mangrove forests (two which had been restored and one old forest).  All of them were cool, but the natural, old growth forest was incredible.  The trees were enormous.  We had to travel by balancing on the prop roots of the mangroves.  It was not a place I think I'd really want to do research.  It was very difficult to move around and not get stuck in the mud. 
We also talked to fishermen at a few of the towns further down the coast (Cabo San Francisco and Caimito).  We spent a while at a beach in Caimito and enjoyed the beauty of it.  We had coconuts on the beach and even saw a whale. 
Then, we headed South to Manta, one of the main fishing ports on the Ecuadorian coast.  We got up early and headed down to the port to see the catch fishermen brought in.  It was all rather disgusting, but it was great seeing it for real instead of just reading about it. 
On the way further south, we stopped at Pacoche.  We hiked through the forest and saw howler monkeys. 
Finally, we made it to our final destination: Puerto Lopez.  It's sort of a sleepy fishing town that is trying to become a tourist spot.  It was interesting going back and reading what Lonely Planet has to say about it.  They don't really give it many points; however, we enjoyed our stay there immensely. 
Anyway, while we were there we saw/ helped with sea turtle captures and tagging, measured sharks at the fishing port, and went whale watching.  We saw a mother and her calf while we were out.  Then, the next day when we were on our way to Isla de la Plata we saw a male breaching and tail/ fin slapping.  It was really incredible.  On Isla de la Plata, we attempted to count sea birds (blue-footed boobies, Nazca boobies, tropical birds, and frigatebirds).  It was cool, but very difficult to keep an accurate count.  We also went snorkeling while we were there and got to swim with sea turtles and manta rays and lots and lots of fishies.  Overall, the trip was absolutely incredible and I'm so glad we got to go. 

Restored Mangrove Forest

Juan de Dios, the undergraduate student at USFQ who was doing the mangrove research

Rikke, Katy, and me in the intact mangrove forest

Luis, our professor, chilling in the hammock in Caimito

Me at the beach in Caimito

Beach at Manta

Hiking to the beach at Los Frailles

Me, Gail, Alexandra, Alexis, and Katy on the hike to Los Frailles

Blue-footed Boobies!!!

Humpback whale breaching

EquilibrioAzul researchers working with a captured sea turtle

Unfortunately, now I'm stuck working on two papers due by the end of the week about the trip.  If this post seems a bit scattered, that's why.  I still have to write the methods section for one of the papers before bed tonight.