Imagine stepping into the world of mangroves, filled with trees and water, alongside your family. It's a special adventure where nature surprises you at every turn. Then, picture switching gears to join your project team. Together, you're on a mission to learn about sea urchins. It's like going on two exciting journeys at once: one with your loved ones and another with your team. Let's dive in and discover the fun and learning in mangroves and sea urchins!
Before going to the mangroves, my family got some food ready to eat there. We left early because at 10 in the morning, the tide is high. Which is really nice at the mangroves because everyone just relaxes in hammocks. We're in my aunt's small van on our way to the mangrove, and it felt extremely hot inside. Almost like being inside an oven, but it felt scorching inside, almost like being trapped in an oven because of the intense heat.
When we got to the parking lot, it was high tide, but it was going low tide. It didn't bother us because we were only there to celebrate my auntie's birthday. There were many small boats in the area, and on the side of the forest, there was an entrance that seemed like a gateway to another world.
We gather everything and arrange it carefully in the mangroves so it doesn't get washed away by the waves. We bring a foldable table to have our meals on. Just look at this stunning scenery with lots of people enjoying walking in the water. They seem to be having a great time.
It's time to eat!!! The food tastes amazing because they made delicious dishes like shrimp, dried fish, spaghetti, salad for dessert, and more. My family looks so happy enjoying the food, and me too. I felt really stuffed afterward, so full that I could barely move because my stomach was so full. I just sat down by the water, feeling relaxed and content.
We're also Play volleyball. The mangroves make a cool place for our game. The sand is soft, perfect for jumping and diving. We laugh a lot as we play, and it feels good to be with my family.
My family is super important to me because they take care of me, give me food, and help me out when I need it. We also love going swimming together in the mangroves. It's so much fun around in the water with them. These moments remind me how lucky I am to have my family by my side. They're always there for me no matter what. So yeah, I really love my family a lot.
I'm heading home because there's something important I need to take care of. For our research project, we have to collect some black long spine sea urchins. It's easiest to find them around 4pm when it's low tide.
When I'm at home, everything is chaotic. I have to wash the dishes, sweep and mop the floor, and fill the water drum. It's exhausting work. After cleaning up, my classmates are waiting for me at the fishport, where I was earlier with my family. Thankfully, by 4 pm, when the tide is low, my family comes home. I head back to the fishport with my research team to collect black long spine sea urchins for our project.
I brought vinegar mixed with garlic and chili, and a net to store the black long spine sea urchins we collected. We'll eat the sea urchins later, so I brought vinegar with them. My teammates are bringing rice. We're really looking forward to eating the sea urchins because we're craving. The yellow part inside the sea urchin is super tasty. Kubkub ta gois!!!
When my teammates and I arrived, we headed into the mangroves to find a good spot. After searching, we found the perfect spot but realized we needed sticks to reach the sea urchins. Luckily, my team had brought goggles and gloves. Sean and Kath stayed behind to watch over our belongings while we searched for the sea urchins.
Look at this view when its low tide. Its so very beautiful and there are no rocks in it, its pure sand and its not hurt in feet. Now we're heading in the farthest in the ocean to find some black long spine sea urchin. We bring a material for sea urchin gathering.
During our sea urchin harvest, one of my classmates used his slippers to collect them, which was quite funny. Another classmate brought an AirPod along and kept it safe while we worked. We discovered plenty of sea urchins in the distant mangrove area and brought along three net bags to store them. My classmates swam around wearing goggles and gloves to gather them safely. My task was to remove the spines using the net bag. We had to be extra careful because sea urchins are highly poisonous.
As the sun began to set, we needed a place to break apart sea urchins to get their shells for a capstone project. Luckily, we were at my classmate's house near the mangroves. We worked on our task there, and their parents kindly provided us with food, including pancit Canton, chicken and rice, which was delicious. I felt grateful for their hospitality.
After cracking open the sea urchin shells and separating out the edible yellow parts, we added vinegar to them, making a tasty treat. Once we finished eating, we're heading home. I'm the one who has to bring the shell home because my classmates don't want to. Huhuhuhu
Thats all for today, thank you for reading my blog!!