Gender Inequality

What happens when you have ten times more males than females on an isolated island in the Indian Ocean?

I'm not actually sure if there's 10x more males, but that seemed like a good rough estimate.  I don't think any of us really thought about the potential consequences of an absurd gender ratio paired with isolation. This has had some major implications for Stephanie, who is also here for DYNAMO and is a master's student in my research group in Colorado. After our first week Steph and I would joke about how great place this place is for any girl with low self esteem. Steph has been getting a lot of attention ever since we landed. When she goes to the food court by herself she is treated to enthusiastic compliments and excellent service. At the bars at night she is approached by multiple men at once with others trying to catch her eye from a distance. The frenzy of attention can be overwhelming, but I'm sure all of us could agree that sometimes it can be nice to feel appreciated.

I can guarantee that most of this is completely harmless, however there was a recent incident that was a bit unsettling. Steph received two disturbing phone calls in which the caller immediately spouted some lewd and vulgar requests. Steph instantly hung up and informed the British authorities. Obtaining someone's phone number on the island is ridiculously easy, so this man could be anyone. Steph recognized a distinct filipino accent which helped narrow it down a little.

The two of us switched rooms and shifted the work schedule so she wouldn't have to be alone at the DYNAMO site at night. Luckily the police were able to trace the calls and informed us today that they found the man and he admitted to making the calls. I realize this sort of thing happens all over the world all the time, but I have to wonder if maybe the extreme isolation and imbalance in the gender ratio played a part in leading this man to think making these calls was a good idea.

On a lighter note...

I had a great snorkeling experience the other day. I took a video with my GoPro and posted it here on YouTube. I had heard from a few people that the reef in front of the CPO club was the best and they were absolutely right! The visibility was the best I've seen yet. 

I also had a chance yesterday to visit Turtle Cove. If you imagine the lagoon in the shape of a footprint with the toes being the part that opens up into the ocean, Turtle Cove is at the heel. We saw 4 or 5 turtles swimming around but they weren't close enough to get a good look at them. Here's a picture of me on the observation deck looking north-ish.

Here's another picture from the deck looking south-ish

I'll make an effort to get back to talking about the weather in the next post.