MODERN ELECTRONICS AND THE NEW WORLD OF CRUISING

Written by Doug Weibel, SV Frolic

Cruising has been fundamentally transformed by modern electronics, there’s no doubt about that.  While some seasoned sailors lament the ways connectivity has altered the cruising experience—with some even claiming that it compromises safety - I take a different perspective.  Easy access to comprehensive weather data, for instance, enhances my safety at sea.  But I’m not here to weigh in on those debates. Instead, I want to highlight a different benefit of modern connectivity: how it provides context for the unfamiliar wonders you encounter while cruising.  Let me share a personal example.

The first time my wife and I visited Warderwick Wells in the Bahamas, we picked up hiking and dive site maps from the park office and eagerly set off.  The dive map mentioned that the eastern shore of the cay is home to reefs formed by Stromatolites, an ancient life form.  As we hiked along the shore and peered into the water, we noticed some unusual-looking rocks and assumed they must be the Stromatolites.  At that time, however, we relied on a cell phone with a Bahamian SIM card, but the cell signal was very weak at Warderwick Wells, and you could just sort of get enough of a connection to download some simple emails if you hiked up Boo Boo Hill and held your phone above your head.  Googling Stromatolites was out of the question, and so the "funny-looking rocks" quickly faded from our minds.

 Fast forward to today. Cell service at Warderwick Wells has improved, and with the addition of StarLink, we now have excellent internet connectivity wherever we anchor.  Google has become an indispensable tool while cruising.  Need to locate a laundromat ashore?  Google can help.  Curious about nearby restaurants within dinghy or walking distance?  Google delivers.  Encounter something unfamiliar?  Google provides instant context and a deeper appreciation for your discovery.

Here’s an example of what I learned about Stromatolites with just a quick Google search:

Stromatolites are extraordinary fossils whose biological origins were debated until a few decades ago.  Scientists now agree that these layered colonial structures are primarily formed by cyanobacteria.  Stromatolites are the oldest fossils on Earth, dating back more than three and a half billion years.  They’re a major attraction for backcountry adventurers exploring places like Capitol Reef National Park in Utah.  But they’re not just ancient relics!  Warderwick Wells is home to one of only two well-developed marine Stromatolite sites in the world where living Stromatolites can be found - the other being Hamelin Pool in Shark Bay, Western Australia.

The microbes that make up modern Stromatolites are similar to organisms that existed 3.5 billion years ago.  For context, Earth itself is approximately 4.5 billion years old, while modern Homo sapiens have been around for just 160,000 years.  Stromatolites also played a crucial role in making life as we know it possible.  Before cyanobacteria evolved, Earth’s atmosphere contained just 1% oxygen.  For two billion years, photosynthesizing Stromatolites released oxygen into the oceans, and eventually into the atmosphere.  Once atmospheric oxygen levels reached around 20%, life began to flourish and diversify.

With this newfound knowledge, those “funny-looking rocks” have taken on a whole new significance.  What at first seemed unremarkable turned out to be incredibly rare and vital—both paleontologically and chronoecologically.  Stromatolites are something few people will ever have the chance to see in their natural habitat, and that rarity alone makes them worth more than a passing glance.

On subsequent visits to Warderwick Wells, I’ve spent more time observing the Stromatolites.  While the sight itself hasn’t changed much, having access to context has profoundly enhanced my appreciation.  Thanks to modern connectivity, I can better understand and marvel at the uniqueness of these ancient life forms.  Sometimes, the deeper significance of what you’re looking at makes all the difference.