2026 Florida Keys: Day 4

Bullis in the Florida Keys

Dear Bullis Community,

We ended our final day in the Florida Keys with fabulous bucket-list memories of swimming with dolphins, snorkeling among octopus, parrotfish, and massive (but docile) barracuda! The other bus ended the week by visiting the Turtle Hospital to learn about how marine scientists are aiding turtles afflicted with "bubble butt," which occurs when sea turtles are struck by boats and their equilibrium is compromised. The students got up close and personal with the testudine patients, and a few brave kids even adopted a sea turtle before heading to Robbie’s Marina to feed wild tarpon!

The two groups convened for a poolside pizza party while the Florida sun set behind us. The group reflected on our action-packed week by watching student-created PSAs about how to protect the marine environment, and by sharing "roses and thorns" (highlights and challenges of the week) before hitting the hay in anticipation of an EARLY alarm in order to conquer the security lines at Miami airport tomorrow.

Please read our final student reflections of our closing day below:

"The Sun-Diver snorkeling trip had ended, and we began heading back. We saw the green-blue ocean, with white flashes of sunlight shimmering on the water. The roar of the boat’s motor drowned out all our chatter, and in the distance, ships on the surface of the sea looked like tiny toys. I reminisced about all the exciting events that took place during Discovery Days, such as the kayak tour and the upside-down jellyfish with its soft, gelatinous body. The wetness in my clothes had disappeared, just like my energy. A quiet sense of calm settled over me as the boat carried us back to shore."

—Oliver L. '31

"Today, we went to the Turtle Hospital, Sombrero Beach, and Robbie’s Marina. We started off the day waking up early. The sun had barely peeked out yet, and the sky was a deep, dark blue. We ate breakfast and quickly loaded onto the bus. We knew it was going to be a long drive; the Turtle Hospital was 1 hour and thirty minutes away! When we arrived, we had a presentation about different kinds of turtles and the harm we can do to them. Then we toured the hospital, viewed a surgery, and observed some of their residents. We then got to feed the turtles some lettuce and got really excited when they ate it. Afterwards, we were informed of a turtle release happening at 11. We realized then that the place they were releasing the turtle was our next stop, Sombrero Beach. We moved to the Turtle Hospital gift shop for some time browsing and wandered through it, appreciating each item. At the end, many people had items, and we knew our money would go toward the turtles, so it left us feeling great. We then left and quickly went to Sombrero Beach, hoping we could catch the turtle release. Unfortunately, we couldn’t, and we did not get to view it. Luckily, we still had more fun planned. At the beach, our goals were to have fun, eat lunch, and record our PSAs. Most people started off playing volleyball and then went into the sea. The sea was gorgeous; it was light teal, and the beams of sunlight reflected off of it. It was a wonder that everyone should witness at least once in their lives. After thirty minutes or so, we got our lunches and started planning to film our PSAs. We devoured the food and then started filming. The groups did a variety of topics and had many different tones. Some PSAs were on the lighter side, while some focused more on darker aspects. In a flash, the two and a half hours of beach time we had were over, and we headed to Robbie’s. We fed tarpon, and then most of us got shaved ice. It was delicious; it melted in your mouth, and a river of sweetness rushed in. That was my favorite part, but some may disagree. Afterwards, we went to the hotel to rest before we had a massive multi-bus pizza party!"

—Jadyn A. '31

See you all tomorrow after a safe return!

Best,

Your fabulous 7th grade chaperone team: 🏝️🐢🤿😎⛱️
(Mr. Horsey, Mr. DiCicco, Ms. Huff, Mr. Kezmarsky, Ms. Keller, Ms. Demers, Ms. London, Nurse Jessica, Ms. Jackson, and myself (Ms. Felt).)

 




 

Location: Marathon, FL USA

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