spontaneous night time exploration

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!