Conservation Research Assistant Program in Cuba

Firstly, I really enjoyed the first week of the expedition where we learned to dive. Being out on the water and having the beauty of shallow, crystal clear water, all around you with little islands in the distance made me feel like I was on vacation.
The only thing that upset me was losing two days of diving because of weather and boat malfunctions, ALTHOUGH at the same time I was grateful for that becasue it gave me time to explore Havan which I otherwise wouldn't have been able to do.

But in terms of the research I was a bit disappointed becasue altough there were 3 projects going on I didn't feel like I was getting the true research experience. It was just data collection. We didn't get to analyze anything or see past data that the professors were working on. It was very limited and becasue of that there was a lot of free time. With that free time it was difficult finding interesting thingsto do near the end of the expedition.

But I did learn how to collect data and what it takes to be a researcher, which is a lot of patience since most of the tasks you will be doing are repeats of the previous day. I also learned a lot about the marine life in Cuba and it has come up a lot in some of the lectures I took this year so I am satisfied with the outcome.

The social experience was wonderful. From what I know there wasn't any major drama that happened and I definitiely can say I made new international friends which thankfully, I still keep in touch with.

Going on a trip with Opwall, in my case the research assistant trip to Cuba, was truly an amazing experience. Besides all the cool stuff I expected like exploring a new country, learning to dive, seeing amazing things, doing research, and meeting new people, I was also able to learn things my way (getting insanely curious about something and asking questions until I have answers), and be hands on, not the classical methods used in schools. . My favourite example was aboard the Filipe Poey, the university of Havana's research ship. It was about 10:30 pm and I had just finished brushing my teeth, about to go to bed, when I heard splashing in the water. Looking overboard to find the source, I noticed a small snake-like critter swimming. As there are no sea snakes in Cuba I was very confused so I asked two of the staff members. They didnt know either so we got a bucket and spotlight, and caught the little guy to identify it (it was a baby eel)! We, along with another student, then set about trying to catch the fish that were jumping and splashing everywhere and identify them (they were halfbeaks, a huge challenge to catch with a bucket). We also caught more baby eels and a tiny little crab, maybe 1 mm in diameter that was floating among the zooplankton. It was so rewarding because not only was my insatiable curiosity fulfilled, I really learned something. Working with knowledgeable people who are equally as passionate as me is an incredible feeling, something I will never forget. It was a fantastic night!

Unbelievable experience that I'm thoroughly relieved I followed through on pursuing. It can seem like a lot of money and possibly daunting before you get there but I have made some fantastic friends and learnt things about myself on the trip.
I am interested in scientific research, and got insights into how fieldwork could operate for a zoological/ecological project.
It was fantastic to get more scuba diving experience in a place that has a lot to offer in terms of marine life to see.