Our iSea iCare ambassadors were up to plenty during Term 1 and have been getting ready for more this term. Below are their reflections on their experiences thus far.
You can find the newsletter from the Dolphin Research Institude (they organise iSea iCare) here.
By Angus
ISea iCare is a group of people chosen to learn about marine environments and ecosystems. As well as learning, we have been on two excursions that consist of peer teaching and snorkelling.
Peer Teaching (Feb 28)
Peer teaching is when we went to a school along with other groups and learnt about the ocean then taught it to the preps at the school we went to. Now we are going to teach the same stuff to the preps in our school to help their understanding of the ocean.
Snorkelling (March 18)
We went down to Sorrento Pier to go snorkelling in the ocean. We got to swim with dolphins and seals. We also saw a couple of stingrays while we were swimming with the seals. As well as that we got to look for sea dragons. They look are like sea horses but they are a bit longer and they have curled tails they can also blend into the seaweed.
By Mila
In the first term of iSea iCare, I have learned how to present to different audiences and ways to keep audiences engaged. For example, to present to younger audiences whilst keeping them engaged you should keep them up and moving frequently but make sure that they don’t go too crazy.
We also got to snorkel with sea life, including seals and dolphins!
Being in iSea iCare has made me more interested in learning about sustainability at home as well. I have learned interesting tips on using sustainable resources as a substitute for plastic, such as aluminum and banana leaves. iSea iCare has helped me improve my family’s uses and hopefully others as well!
I have already learned so many things just in the first term, I can’t imagine how many new things I will know by the end of the year!
By Harriet
On February the 28, the iSea iCare group of 2019 went on their first excursion to Lysterfield Primary School. When we were there we did peer teaching. We learnt many things about the ocean (and after we learnt we would share with the preps of Lysterfield Primary School) such as Marine Mysteries and learning about things on the beach. When we did that I learnt that kelp/ holdfast can grow up to 40 metres. I also learnt that a sea sponge has been around for 6,000,000 years and that you can put it in a blender, pour it out and, the next day, if you go back to look at it, it will be the same as it was before you put it in the blender.
The third activity we learnt how to do was find the dolphin food where there were 2 boxes, which were full of rubbish and 1 bit of dolphin food. You would get the preps to put their hand in and try find the dolphin food if no one got the dolphin food you get it yourself.
After we learnt how to do those activities, we got told what activity we will be presenting to the preps. I did marine mysteries. In Marine Mysteries, we learnt about a few sea creatures. I did Australian Fur Seal. Now that we have practised sharing the information that we have learnt we will soon share the amazing sea life with the preps of our school.
The second excursion that we went on was the boat trip. We went to Sorrento beach and got ready to get wet! After we had gotten through the safety things and got all our things on (wetsuit, snorkel and flippers), we were on the road or should I say the water. The first thing that we were scheduled to see was the dolphins. It was amazing some were jumping in the water almost straight in front of us. I even got a few great photos.
After we had gotten into a pretty good spot on the water, where there was lots of dolphins, we started getting in the water. That was the greatest part. They were everywhere. They were brushing our legs and once I put my whole head under and I was face to face with a dolphin it was incredible.
After we moved on from the dolphins, we got to the seals (I know more amazingness still to come). At the seals, we got in the water almost immediately. We were so close to the seals, I thought that one of the seals would fall on someone. Well, one of them kind of did, someone got hit on the face with a flipper.
When we were at the seals, I got a bit of a surprise. I looked down to see if there was any coral or anything underneath me, well there sure was something! When I looked down there was a gigantic stingray beneath me! It would have been more than a metre long. It was so scary, I screamed! Not only was it huge but the water would have been about a metre deep, so if I stood up I would have stood on a huge stingray. But hey, the seals and dolphins were amazing. I reckon it was worth it to have a few stingers in the ocean.
Anyway, the last stop of our trip was the sea dragons they are little tiny creatures that look like sea horse except that their tails are unfolded. They were actually quite cute here’s a photo of one.
After that we went back to shore and drove back to school.
We are now working on getting our peer teaching presentation perfect so we can share it with the preps of PHPS.
By Juliette
Last term, iSea iCare ambassadors had a wonderful time exploring the ocean by swimming and watching different stunning sea animals. We all had a mystical adventure swimming close to the smelly seals and jumping dolphins. The expedition was a once in a lifetime experience that i’m sure all the students and parents will treasure.
Peer teaching was a fun and didactic for the students and parents. We put ourselves out there and taught a brand new lesson to the preps of Lysterfield Primary School.
We learned about new facts and statements of different ocean items. We will teach to PHPS’s preps the same knowledge and importance of our sea. Were building our own materials and equipment.
By Mabel
Last term in the iSea iCare program was great. The first excursion was a good transition from normal excursions to exotic ones. Our first excursion was to Lysterfield Primary School. We learnt about sea life and then taught it to the school’s preps in a fun and interesting way. Everyone had a different role to play when teaching the preps, for example, I was the person that had to do the conclusion and make sure everyone enjoyed it.
For the second excursion, we went to Sorrento Pier to catch a boat out to the deeper water where we went swimming with dolphins, fur seals and sea dragons. After that, everyone on the boat got a muffin and a cup of hot chocolate. That was a lot of people’s favourite part.
After a long day of swimming, we head back to school. We got back to school at about 6pm and then got taken home.
By Arlo
Peer Teaching
It’s the 28 of February and we’re going off to Lysterfield Primary school. We meet four other schools, teach the preps and I do a drill called Help Me Find My Food. I learnt a lot of stuff including when you go to the beach and there are those jellyfish that you throw at mum or dad, they’re actually moon snail eggs- I’ll never throw them again.
Snorkeling
I’ve always wanted to swim with dolphins and on March 18, I got to play and swim with them. I even got to see stingrays and fur seals. The water was freezing but we were wearing wetsuits. Suddenly, the boat stopped, and a small bunch of us (about six at a time), got to paddle out, holding onto long ropes behind the boat. The Princes Hill kids got to go into the water twice because the first time we didn’t have a good look at the dolphins, and the second time we got to touch them!
When we were playing with the seals, one of our ambassadors got whacked in the face with a seal’s flipper.
I think we all agree, that it was one of the best days of our lives.