Favorite moments and thoughts for future groups

Shoshone - My favourite moment was learning from Hector about whales in dolphins. It was really necessary to have some knowledge of marine life before we went on the boat Wednesday, because it helped me with identifying the animals. However, in the learning process I didn't write any notes down. It's a small thing that is beneficial, so take into account that it's handy whenever.

George - My favourite moment was listening to the Seri elder Alfredo speak to the myriad issues facing the area. I could understand much of what was said in Spanish, but I wish I had really invested myself into what he was saying. I learned so much on this trip, and so many of my misconceptions about the natural world were clarified. Many of us were wrapped up in ourselves, and I am no exception. We all learned and thrust ourselves into the setting, but our focus waxed and waned. I wish I had the better fortitude and mental endurance to maintain that investment.

Libby-My favorite moment on this trip was going out on the boat to go whale and dolphin watching. We saw a bunch of long beaked common dolphins as well as bottle nosed dolphins.  We also saw two whales and a couple of sea lions. The boat ride itself and being on the water was a lot of fun. We got to learn a lot about marine wild life and practice our Spanish a little bit with our captain as well as the other couple of Spanish speakers. I would always take a lot of sunscreen because everyone underestimated the sun.

Caleigh- I had two favorite moments on this trip. The first was the day on the boat because I had never been on a boat like that before for an entire day. We saw, as mentioned above by Libby, a bunch of really neat wildlife, both above and below the water. The acrobatic dolphins were probably my favorite, with my least favorite being the jellyfish...their stings are not that friendly! My second favorite moment was when we visited the Seri village and Punta Chueca and got to talk to Alfredo and his wife CleoTilda about their lives, culture, and creation story. My advice to other students on this interim would be to, as Libby said, bring more sunscreen than you think you need, especially if you're as pale as me, and secondly I would say to take advantage of the opportunity you have been given through being here. Take the time to go explore the library, read some books, go talk to the convenience store clerk at the Super T, be present, and have a great time!

Riley- My favorite moment on this trip was snorkelling. I had never snorkelled before and being able to see all of the sea creatures face to face was really neat! I froze, so if you get cold make sure to wear a lot of neoprene. Make sure to get up early to see a sun rise here, and also be sure to be on the beach (with your camera) for a sunset. Jorge's fish tacos are really good, and make sure to try all of the fresh sea food. I ate lettuce apples and tomatoes, and didn't get sick. I wouldn't drink the tap water in large amounts though. Finally don't be afraid to touch the jelly fish, they only sting a little.

Nicole- My favorite moment on this trip was going whale watching. We spent the entire day out on a boat, visiting islands, and looking for marine life. We saw two Orca Whales that we swimming together, a few sea lions, and two pods of dolphins.






Veronica- My favorite moment on this trip was going whale and dolphin watching. It was super cool when the dolphins were racing us, or when they would swim on the side of the boat and then jump up and splash us. I also really enjoyed snorkeling, especially because it was my first time doing so. My advice to future students interested in this interim is to take advantage of being here because it is a good trip to go out of your comfort zone and try new things. Also eat as many tacos as you can because they're super good and they're sexy.

Lexie- I had so many amazing experiences on this trip, mainly because it was my first time out of the country. woop woop! My favorite moment of this trip was when I took twenty minutes to sit down and talk to Alfredo, one of the Seri Indian Tribe elders. He told a few of us the Seri's creation story, the way the Seri's were before they became the western idea of civilized, his favorite types of tea, the way he worships his God, and customs of the Seri culture. The most powerful aspect of this was Alfredo's eyes as he spoke about his beliefs and as he shared his knowledge. Though I didn't understand a word of what he said, his wisdom and kindness was palpable. I have a few pieces of advice for future Kino travelers. Keep in mind that card that they give you at customs, the one with the stamp and stuff, you should probably keep that.. it turns out that it's important. Also hit up the beach often, but put sunscreen on, and don't get burnt on the first day. Don't forget your pillow at the hotel. Get the menz.

Chengcheng Han-Favorite part of the trip-Looking at the sunset from the beach. It is totally different from the sunset in Colorado in a way that one is setting at the back of the mountain and another is at the endless sea.        Thoughts for future groups-If you have really bad eyes, please remember to bring your contact lenses. It will be really useful for snorkeling.

Peter - My favorite moment was sitting quietly listening to the Alfredo, the Seri elder", tell the Seri creation myth.  One thing I would want people to remember to do next time is take a moment to sit quietly and listen in each of the different eco-systems that we went too.  We often moved on to quickly.

¡hasta luego!

Intertidal zone

Lots of Goooooood pokin'

More Pokin'

Our Zoo

Organizing the zoo by phylum

We hit up an intertidal zone, which is the zone in between the high and low tides where lots of squishy critters live. We got to poke sea hairs (little bitty kittens), play with star fish, get pinched by crabs, peel sea cucumbers off of rocks, and learn about how all of these different animals make in their homes in the intertidal zone. We also learned about the different phylums that the animals belong to such as cnidaria, mollusks, arthropods, and echinoderms.  We also got to snorkel in the intertidal zone and see those animals in their natural habitats. The coolest part was definitely holding the sea hairs because they are squishy and awesome.  

-Lexie and Libby

Anemone are members of the Cnidaria Phylum like jelly fish.

Stingrays are not so scary when you are swimming.

George enjoying the intertidal zone at high tide! 

The pelagic zone - AKA "the boat day"

After Hector gave us an excellent lecture on Marine Mammals, we went out on a Panga and toured the Mid-drift Islands.  We saw lots of common long beaked and bottle nosed dolphin as well as two humpback whales.  Then we went to Isla Tiburon and went snorkling.  It was unbelievably calm!

Humpback Whale

Going, going

Gone

Isla Alcatraz "That ain't snow behind those pelicans!"

The boat day was many people's favorite

Estuaries and the Seri

Lexi and her kitten

Robin exploring the estuary amidst the prop roots of the red mangroves.

Cleotilda sang a welcome song that described the first lesson ever when their god taught the animals how to make plants.

On this day we went to an estuary and met with Seri Tribal Elders (#hotties). One of the elders,named Alfredo,told us creation stories, about their native traditions, and information about life in the estuary. We spotted animals such as crabs, sea hairs, fish, and multiple types of birds. We sauntered up the estuaries winding path while investigating the intricate root systems of the wild mangrove. The Seri people vigorously offered and sold us handmade bracelets, necklaces, and baskets. At the end and the beginning of our adventures at the estuaries, an elderly woman named, Cleotilda, sang us native tribal songs. #factoid you can lick the white mangrove leaves because they secrete table salt. Yay estuaries they rock!

The Sonoran desert

On Thursday, our last full day in Kino, we spent the morning exploring a section of the Sonoran desert. There was a huge stand of Cardon, or Elephant Cactus, which can grow to be 21m tall and have trunks meters thick. To give perspective, in the middle image we are all standing! Because the Cardon provide some of the only shade in the area, Seris and other desert travellers used the stand as a rest stop. We found shells of sea animals and ancient pottery shards in the shadow of the cactus. 






The second half of the day we went trough the fishery of Kino Viejo. They have no built port, so the fisherman ran their boats ashore or got a trailer onto the beach. We saw the illegal trading of a sea turtle as we wandered down the beach, underscoring the widespread issues, ethical, political, and ecological that plague much of gulf of California.

Gaining a sense of Bahia Kino

Eighteen hours after driving through a snow storm, we woke in Kino Nuevo under this palpa roof.  Our instructor Gregory Smart gave us the lay of the land first by introducing us to a general understanding of the ocean, and the forces that drive it as a whole like depth, currents, temperature and up-welling.  Then showed how all these forces are present in the Gulf of California providing lots of productivity and biologic diversity.  Most of the students have taken or are currently taken AP Environmental Science like George Bernard.  This talk connected many of the ideas of that class and connected them to this tiny body of water that produces 50% of all commercial fishing in Mexico.

Then we took a walk from the field station up to Punta Ignacio.  From here we mapped Bahia Kino, the Mid Drift islands, and inland land forms to understand the geologic forces at play in the gulf.  

Punta Ignacio

After lunch we began our research projects.  Each group is responsible for introducing a different eco-system that we will see while we are down here, some species that exist in that ecosystem, and how they have adapted to that environment. Then we took some down time in the ocean where we learned that the current jellyfish population does not really sting humans.  

We then discussed the forces that create tides and went to Old Kino to see the fishing community and have some excellent food.  We ate fresh clams adn scallops out of their shells and carne asada hot off of the grill!

Photos from 2006

Photos from 2006 interim