Baja, Mexico: Marine Biology & Island Ecology
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 studying marine biology abroad in a place of such marine richness. On our Baja Island Ecology study abroad program, you’ll snorkel over coral reefs collecting data for vital research, swim with sea lions, study marine biology abroad, kayak beneath the island cliffs of Espiritu Santo and study ancient cultures. Steinbeck-like epiphanies are sure to follow. Learn More. Contact Us.
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 marine biology 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 tropical marine biology 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 marine biology 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 tropical waterfalls, hike through lush canyons within a unique inland mountain
ecosystem, and help the local community with different service-learning projects and opportunities.
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 tropical marine 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 study abroad program is a unique opportunity to assist with authentic marine biology research and be an active collaborator in this international conservation effort: far more than your average study abroad program.
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, Spanish and art. This combination of instruction and action creates a truly unique opportunity to study marine biology abroad.
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 your marine biology research, collaborate and practice Spanish with Mexican students.
If you are an individual student hoping to join an EPI group, you can! Check available dates and enroll now on-line!
Conservation for the next generation A nonprofit organization
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