Day Six: Sloshy Shoes and Mounds of Goo

On day six, we had quite a damp morning recovering from the storm the night before, but set off aboard the Belle for Wye Island no worse for the wear, aside from a few sloshy pairs of shoes. A little ways into the transit, we tossed out the trawl net in hopes of getting some fish to observe, but got nothing but a big net full of jellies. After tossing the mounds of goo that they compiled overboard, we all got to hold a jellyfish in an attempt to get over some sting-related fears. It was slimy, but decidedly not so life-threatening as many had anticipated. Upon arriving at Wye Island, we went on a short canoe trip to a creek where we saw two bald eagles nesting, and heard the almost dinosaur-like squawk of some passing great blue herons. We went for a quick swim, then canoed back in time for dinner. After dinner, we went on a hike at dusk down to a beach where there was a gorgeous sunset reflected in the most tranquil waters we had seen yet. As it got dark, we swam with the bio-luminescent, sting-free cone jellies, which glow in the dark every time you disturb one with a swimming stroke. We then hiked back in the dark without flashlights, which unnerved a few but gave us a new appreciation for nighttime in its natural state, free of light pollution. We then went straight to bed, looking forward to our next transit to Rock Hall.