All things maritime have been the focus of Nesta Wellman's summer this year, as the junior staff member at the Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo had a chance to travel to Edisto Island, South Carolina to learn more about the efforts there to protect the loggerhead turtles — and his mode of transportation was the Russian tall ship Kruzenshtern.

Though the ten-day sail to Charleston was cut short when the Kruzenshtern lost its foremast within 24 hours of leaving Bermuda, Mr. Wellman was able to gain a great deal from his time on board.

Unlike on other sail training vessels, the Bermudians were treated more like guests than trainees, were not assigned to watches and had no specific duties.

It was up to each individual to give — and get — as much as he wanted out of the experience.

Mr. Wellman was determined to get as much as he could, and worked alongside the Russian cadets on deck, in the galley and at the helm.

The Russian cadets had timetabled English lessons, and he participated, sharing something about Bermuda with them.

Of the actual snapping of the foremast, Mr. Wellman, whose accommodation was amidships, said, "I'm a deep sleeper. I didn't hear nothing."

It wasn't until he went on deck the next morning that he learned that high winds at about 05.00 hours caused the foremast to snap, and the captain notified everyone that they were out of the race because it was too dangerous to continue sailing.

The prospect of motoring all the way to Charleston was not a pleasant one. "It was disappointing because we weren't able to have the full experience of sailing," acknowledged Mr. Wellman.

Nevertheless he was able to climb the rigging, reaching the highest platform on the third main mast, with his new friend Matthew Outerbridge, whose experience from Teneriffe to Bermuda was described in the July 20th Royal Gazette.

"Going up the mast at first I was a little nervous, but after that I enjoyed it. I could see the entire ocean. I was really, really thrilled to be up there. It was an unbelievable, unexplainable experience," Mr. Wellman enthused.

The on-board experience also included different tastes.

The food at the three meals and tea time was "mostly rice, which had a taste of coconut, white rice, beans and other flavours and every mealtime we had a different soup."

Breakfast often consisted of bread, butter, cold cuts and cheese; occasionally soup or porridge was served. One particular treat was a slice of bread topped with sugar.

Once they arrived in Charleston on the Monday morning, and the mast and ropes had been dealt with, there wasn't much to do.

The Bermudians and Russian officers were allowed to disembark on Tuesday morning and do some sightseeing in the town, but the Russian cadets, whose visas didn't come into effect until the Thursday were obliged to stay on board. Though the voyage had ended, Mr. Wellman's adventures did not.

A visit arranged by BAMZ director Dr. Ian Walker included a four-day stay on Edisto Island, "a very peaceful, relaxing place where you can enjoy life," as guest of Ms. Meg Hoyle.

Edisto Island, one of South Carolina's barrier islands, is a loggerhead turtle nesting site, and Mr. Wellman was invited to join the turtle patrol team to check for nests on the beaches.

Those on patrol would look for indications that female turtles had crawled from the sea and determined by digging in the sand whether eggs had in fact been laid or whether it was a false crawl.

Once the number of eggs was counted, the nest would be recovered and marked with a post or a cage to protect the nest. While on patrol, Mr. Wellman's group found two nests.

Mr. Wellman also accompanied by Ms Hoyle on boat tours into the harbour where Ms Hoyle informed tour participants about the dolphins and inhabitants of the coastal marshes.

Another tour, this time by kayak, explored the marshes in a more intimate manner.

Of the experience, Mr. Wellman noted, "I felt at home there, and I would definitely like to go back if I had the chance."

Mr. Wellman's experience culminated in a personal tour of the Charleston Aquarium, including a tour of the turtle hospital, which was treating about seven turtles.

Some had been injured by propeller blades; others had become entangled in fishing nets or ingested plastic they mistook as food. The highlight of the Aquarium tour was encountering "a massive tank, much bigger than the North Rock tank.

It really blew me away to see the size of the fish that were in there — tuna, a few sharks, a few barracudas among other fish."

Interesting as all the varied experiences were, Mr. Wellman was most grateful for "getting to know all the people who made my trip a blast, an unforgettable one."

He concluded: "I can honestly say that this trip was one of the most extraordinary experiences that I have ever had. "I am deeply grateful to my parents for their support and many people who helped me take part: special thanks to Atlantic Conservation Partnership, Dr. Walker, family members, neighbours and many, many friends."