Discover a Treasure at Sea Called Biodiversity
In John Steinbeck’s “The Log from the Sea of Cortez,” he spends several weeks aboard a vessel studying tidal pools and cultures along Baja’s coast. And he is transformed. Such is the power of time spent in a place of marine riches. You’ll snorkel over coral reefs collecting data for vital research. Swim with sea lions. Kayak beneath the island cliffs of Espiritu Santo. And study ancient cultures. Steinbeck-like epiphanies are sure to follow.
sample itinerary
You'll arrive to La Paz and get to know your instructors while you explore the EPI campus. That evening you'll overview your course and get ready to head off to the island first thing in the morning.
sample itinerary
Today you'll transfer by boat to Espiritu Santo Island where you'll camp on a secluded beach under star-lit skies for the next four nights. Your days will be spent conducting a snorkel census, exploring the island, sea kayaking, or playing on the beach. Each night you'll review your data and enjoy some of the finest food in Mexico.
sample itinerary
After returning to La Paz you'll head to a local school for your intercultural exchange day. In the morning you present the results of your research projects while hanging out with local students and practicing your Spanish. Later that day you explore parks, churches, and other cultural highlights in La Paz.
sample itinerary
You'll head south into the Sierra de La Laguna mountain range. There you'll swim below towering waterfalls, hike through lush canyons within a unique inland mountain
ecosystem, and help the local community with different service-learning projects.
sample itinerary
Today you'll say goodbye to your instructors, enjoy your last meal in Mexico, and think about all the wonderful marine life you've seen during your course. Adios!
Conservation Impact
The Sea of Cortez is a World Heritage Site. While it remains a remarkably rich ecosystem, it is slowly being diminished by human impacts — from commercial fishing to pollution to the dewatering of freshwater sources like the Colorado River. The work being done here to catalog and study species is important to understanding that impact and how to minimize it. This program is a unique opportunity to assist with authentic marine research and be an active collaborator in this international conservation effort.
Academics and Education
Our Baja Island Ecology Program gets you up close and personal with life in and around the Baja California Sur, a desert Mecca for terrestrial and marine wildlife. You’ll spend a week under the tutelage of our experienced instructors, studying the unique biological diversity on land and sea while camping on the pristine beaches of an uninhabited island. The curriculum includes instruction and activities on desert, island and marine ecology, journal writing, scientific method, kayaking, English and art.
Cultural Exchange
We also travel inland to the Sierra de La Laguna Mountains and La Paz. There, you’ll dig in and work alongside folks from the local community on a variety of environmental and cultural improvement projects. You’ll also take in cultural sites, make pottery and visit a local school to co-present research, collaborate and practice Spanish with Mexican students.