We went out on the boat for the last time. First stop was Gilroy’s Grassbed where we saw the first of six manatees for the day. Pam collected her productivity samples to see how fast the seagrass grows in a week. After that, we went to North Gallows and saw a couple of more manatees—maybe as many as three—along the reef. We didn’t do any snorkeling as the water was a bit rough and the visibility was very poor. Tropical Storm Chantal had stirred up the sand on the bottom and you couldn’t see more than a few feet.

We had lunch in Bogue G and saw a couple of dolphin and 2 more manatees. As you can tell, it was a very productive day.

We returned to camp about 4:30. After putting away equipment, I’m take my last bucket shower. It’s funny, I never thought I’d miss dripping water in a bucket and pouring it over my head, but after two weeks of this, it’s become part of my routine.

I’m really going to miss this country. The people are great and the landscapes are gorgeous—unspoiled and lush. What fills me with hope is that most Belizeans understand that their wealth is in this natural environment.

Our last meal on the island consisted of fried potatoes, steamed/fried zucchini, some wine from Clifton’s father, and of course, beans and rice. After dinner, we watched videos of manatees we’d seen during this trip, and some from the other teams.

Even though we lost four days to Tropical Storm Chantal and the rain that followed, we’d accomplished 18 scans, seen 19 manatees, and produced the same number of seagrass samples as any other team this year. We were quite happy with our productivity.

This experience has truly been one of the best things I’ve ever done. I’ve met some terrific people—both Earthwatch volunteers, and native Belizeans. I’ve seen a fair piece of the country, learned more about manatees than I ever would have learned on my own, all while making a contribution to science. This trip is some of the best money I’ve ever spent.

After watching the manatees, Clifton and I played a last game of Spanish Checkers. After countless losses, and one draw, I finally won a game.

Tomorrow morning, we go our separate ways. Caryn and Pam will stay here for a few days to pack up for the season. Jack flies back to Pennsylvania in the afternoon. Debbie, Dalen, Clifton and I are going on a last expedition together to the Cayo District. We have to catch a bus at 6:00 a.m to get to San Ignacio. This means we have to leave the island around 5:00 a.m. As a result, we are all turning in early. Although, maybe not as early as we should. It’s already 10:30 p.m.