Night Tides

Up until this point we did not have very many opportunities to relax at the beach. After a day full of tide pooling followed by lectures and dinner we decided, as a group, to grab our head lamps and make our way to the shore. Expecting the ocean to be at our feet when we arrived so we could layout and chill we were surprised to see that it was no where in sight. During the new moon the tides are at their most extreme, we experienced this during the day as nearly a mile of ocean floor was exposed for us to explore. Tiny pools of water filled with snails, crabs, fish, sea stars, and other creatures littered the land scape. Though most creatures were hidden under rocks and coral avoiding the sun, the tide pools still hinted at life. Myself and another student took the opportunity of a second low tide to make our way to the ocean following the same paths we took earlier that morning. After about 20 minutes of walking and a few dunks in the tide pools, we finally found the shore line. In our determination to make it to the ocean we paid little attention to what was going on in the tide pools. This was not the case on the trek back, the tide pools had come to life. At night the Hermit crabs crawled around in search for food, sea anemones swayed back and forth catching little particles as they drifted by, and fish of all shapes and colors dashed around under the light of our head lamps. As we walked we heard a sucking sound, I moved my head lamp down and saw an octopus attempting to escape, no doubt to find another tide pool in search for prey. I yelled “OCTOPUS” and the group that chose to stay on the beach ran towards us. It was mesmerized by the light for only a few minutes before sinking back into the pool and attempting to camouflage its self. I never expected how active the tide pools can be at night. Our need to spend some time chilling at the beach lead to this discovery and it turned out to be a way better outcome then laying out on a towel while sand made its way into places you’d rather it not be.

Friday April 18th

Friday April 18^th

Today was possibly the best day of the trip yet, I am aware there still are a couple days of our trip to beat but this day I will remember for the rest of my life, so the chance of beating it is near impossible. Today I became officially SCUBA certified and was able to do my first official Dive. Becoming scuba certified has always been a want for me ever since I was young. Soon it became a requirement for the Marine Science Degree Path. We saw many Sea Lions, and finally Sting rays! Sting ray bury themselves in the sand so well! It was astonishing to finally see all the sea life in person, instead of on video or photos. 

 

Thursday April 17th

Thursday April 17th

Wow what a Crazy Fun Day we had yesterday with Kayaking at Morua Estuary! A few of us are still recovering from the intense arm workout that was involved! I didn’t get to see much life in the estuaries, but we learned that the estuary can have a higher salinity which surprised me. We also were told of all the species of birds that fly through! There was a lot! This was a little scary for Melissa who was on her own Kayak, due to her fear of birds. But besides that it was a blast!

 

Your Friendly Neighborhood Dolphins

After our boat trip to bird island we were faced with a long voyage back to the main land. Though the swell was high and the boat rocked back and forth, the ride back was mostly uneventful. Exhausted I tried to find a good place to nap. With all the prime napping spots taken however, I found myself waiting for someone to wake up and move. I passed the time by watching some of the videos I shoot during my dive and eating a wonderfully prepared lunch. After about an hour or so of this my chance to get some rest presented itself. The most welcoming green couch I’ve ever seen was open and calling my name in the galley, I feel asleep. I awoke to sounds of screaming, shouts came from the front of the boat and I opened my eyes in a panic. In fight or flight mode, I arose only to be tossed head first into the galley table by the rocking of the boat. With the table nocked over and the sound of screaming filling the air I stumbled to my feet in search of a fire extinguisher thinking surely something must be a flame with all this screaming. Nothing was on fire however, made clear by the collective “awwww” and “OMG look there’s dolphins”. A pod of friendly dolphins followed the boat and began showing off for us. They were spectacular and despite the minor injuries I sustained the sighting was worth it. Though I could of went without the screaming, the experience was one I will likely never forget. Watching the pod play around the boat made for an amazing end to a great day on the ocean.

Last night was a haze

On the second story of CEDO there is a beautiful deck that overlooks the ocean. Sleeping on the deck is almost mandatory if you want the best experience possible. At night, alongside the sound of waves crashing, you can see the stars filling the night sky. However, some nights are better than others for this. On Tuesday, after a full day of activities and dinner, we came back to CEDO to tuck in for the night. Unlike the night before, this night felt different somehow. The deck was soaked though no rain had fell, the telephone pole in front of CEDO sparked, and the winds howled. Determined to sleep outside a few students braved the damp completely un-bothered but there was no mistaking the evidence. Around 1AM a heavy fog rolled in cutting visibility to near zero. The stars were completely blanketed, the moisture high, and our sleeping bags became pools of water. The next morning you could see what remained of the fog as it hovered just over the ocean creating an impenetrable wall. After that night most of the sleeping bags and their occupants remained indoors while CEDO’s deck remained clear.  

Home at Last!

During this past week, I never thought I would make as many memories and see as many things as I did out in Mexico. I am certainly going to watch where I step from now on more carefully when entering any ocean! I will miss waking up to the beautiful ocean breeze every morning, but I do appreciate my house and the shower that I have! Our last full day was very fun, I made my first ever boomerang on the beach and enjoyed s'mores. There is much to be explored in our great beautiful oceans, it was really cool to "sea" so many different areas even though it was just the tip of the iceburg when it comes to the vast amounts of sea life that exists. Below is a picture of an octopus that we found hiding in a shell!

Kayaking With Sea Lions!

I don't think I have ever been on a boat for a total of 10 hours, but this past week I went out of my comfort zone and had so much fun doing so. We took a boat 3 hours off the coast of Puerto Penasco to a tiny, bird and sea lion dotted island called San Jorge. A few people scuba dove, some snorkeled, and I decided to revisit the idea of kayaking because the water looked a lot friendlier than the wind and tide we dealt with at the estuary. I figured I would give kayaking another try, but this time in the beautiful blue ocean with sea lions diving under me and no frustrating wind. It was a blast, I only fell off ONCE! So glad I got to have this once in a life time experience.