Africa is and was beautiful. I had no idea what to expect when we first landed in Johannesburg, or when we finally arrived in Tofino, Mozambique. Tofino is a tropical paradise, with palm trees, white sands, and a lively atmosphere. Women wore bright, saturated dresses and skirts, schoolchildren scattered the sides of the roads, and everywhere along the main beach someone would try to sell you something (bracelets, hats, sea stars, etc.).

Our group's focus was to study the marine megafauna in the waters of Tofino, specifically sharks. Whale sharks, Bull sharks, etc. We also got to experience an estuary and coral reefs. The estuary quickly became my favorite place.

However, not many things in this study abroad went according to plan. Firstly, this is a new program, so being a bit of a guinea pig was to be expected. Unfortunately, there was little to no structure on this program, and very minimal research was accomplished due to the failure of our host, and shark researcher. There were a lot of times on this program where nobody knew what was going on, and many things we were supposed to do either happened once, or not at all. I’m disappointed because I loved the times I got to actually look into a microscope and learn something about the native marine life. I wish I could’ve done more. So, I will be talking more about how this internship changed my perspective on nature, and how it pushed me out of my comfort zone instead, because I don’t have enough research content to share.

Before this program I’d never been to the ocean before and had only been on a boat a handful of times in my life. I’m by no means a good swimmer, and I didn’t even know how to snorkel going into this. On my first day on a boat in Tofino I had gotten violently seasick, and the researcher's boat ended up having mechanical problems, so we had to turn around before we got to see any wildlife. Thankfully I was able to access anti-nausea pills for the rest of my stay there. My second time on that boat was when things got interesting. We had made it out pretty far, close to the reef, when three Spinner dolphins were spotted. Chaos ensued. “Everyone put on your snorkeling gear, and as quietly as you can slip into the water. You have to be quick, go!”. I forgot to mention that I don’t particularly like jumping off of things, especially into water. But I really wanted to swim with those dolphins, so I sucked it up, put on my gear and climbed up onto the side of the boat. Another classmate was sitting there too, and I turned and asked if she wanted to jump on the count of three. Something in me just changed, and I wasn't going to chicken out, so on count three I plunged into the water. I emerged from the blue and could taste the salt in my mouth. The waves were so strong, and I couldn’t even begin to comprehend what might be swimming below me in those deep waters. It feels like a dream now, but somehow, I swam around the boat against the waves, and saw the tails of the dolphins from behind. This was my true introduction to the ocean, and I’ll never forget it.

I’ve been to the great lakes before, but the ocean has so much more strength. Feeling its power, and hearing the waves crash into the beaches every night from my room lured me in. The ocean can give and take, it can swallow you whole, and I respect it immensely because of that.

One of my fondest, and scariest moments during the program occurred during our trips to the estuary. Our first trip everyone was excited, and we got to ride in a sailboat. Promises of seahorses made me want to jump up and down in the boat. However, once we got there, we were greeted with a sea urchin landmine. The waters were shallow, but navigating around the plethora of urchins was stressful. I did not have any sort of foot protection, but managed to work my way around the urchins, and got to see small, but magnificent creatures. I saw a seahorse, boxfish, goby, starfish, and various other tropical fish. At this point in the program, I realized the smaller organisms own my heart. The whale sharks, and dolphins are still beautiful and bring me so much joy, but the tiniest blips of life inspire me the most. Such small beings surviving, and thriving even, make me so curious. The hustle and bustle of the animals in the estuary, darting around feet and nets, was a beautiful sight.

To wrap up, I hope that I painted a picture of Tofino that does it some justice. Being in Tofino, and hearing those waves, made me love Michigan even more. Nature does not need to be grandiose or mimic a greeting card. Nature deserves to be loved regardless of if it's 8,595 miles away, or right outside your backdoor. I see the smaller things now, much like I did in the estuary, and I see how similar it is. The similarities will serve as a reminder of my time spent in Tofino and will also remind me that the things we love, and the traits of said things, we can find again and again. No matter where we are. I’m so proud of myself for having the courage to go on this journey, and even more so of my fellow classmates who were there by my side.

Name: MaKenzie McUmber
Status: Senior
Major: Fisheries and Wildlife
Hometown: Jackson, Michigan
Program: Marine Biology Internship in Mozambique