Thursday, July 21st – my last blog. I first saw John’s boat “Fluke” around 10:20 AM, and by 10:35 he was rowing ashore with Ben, who would be taking my place. It was a picture-perfect day, and the water was almost as smooth as glass – so landing amidst the rocks wasn’t too challenging. It was a little bittersweet to say goodbye to the crew and the island, but I can’t say I wasn’t a little excited to get on the road that would take me home to my family.
I spent about four hours on the water, and have the sunburn to show for it. First we had to swing over to Seal Island to pick up Eric, who was also leaving. Then it was a long ride to Vinalhaven, where we caught the nearly hour-and-a-half long ferry ride to Rockland, Maine. Along the way we saw numerous birds – Atlantic Puffins, Common and Arctic terns, double-crested and great cormorants, and even several juvenile and one adult bald eagle. Once at Rockland we stopped by the Project Puffin visitors’ center, where we shopped for puffin souvenirs. I also couldn’t resist stopping for ice cream, which I greedily gobbled up. While we ate very well on Matinicus Rock, ice cream was a treat we could only dream of!
I was exhausted by the time I got to the Todd Audubon Sanctuary in Bremen, Maine, where the Project Puffin offices are located. It‘s right on the water, and Hog Island is easily visible, which is where many ornithology-based summer camps for teens and adults are held. It is a beautiful spot, but I was too beat to sight-see. I drug my stuff upstairs to the visitors’ center apartments, where I was able to take a refreshing and long-overdue shower before falling into bed. I was definitely too exhausted to even unpack my laptop, much less write a blog!
Today has been spent hiking trails through the oak and pine-filled woods, leafing through old Audubon magazines and doing a bit of laundry. It’s nice to have a little break before I dive back into the business of being a working mom! By this time tomorrow I will be flying back to San Antonio, where my actual family - and my SeaWorld family await. I am so thankful to the SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Conservation Fund for allowing me this once in a lifetime opportunity, and to all the wonderful staff, interns and volunteers of Project Puffin who so kindly and expertly helped me throughout my stay. And last but certainly not least, I want to thank my aviculturist teammates, who had to work extra hard to cover for me while I was away. I would return the favor to any of you in a heartbeat!
