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Day 1-5

Unpack at the Gerace Marine Research Center.

Arrive on San Salvador and check out your new home for the next two weeks, the Gerace Marine Research Center. Once a United States Navy base, Gerace's facilities still show evidence from the Cold War era with abandoned radar stations, cryptography rooms, radio towers and guard shacks. Close to the Center there are lagoons filled with ancient stromatolites, mangrove channels, Ice Age fossil beds, gorgeous beaches and vast seagrass beds just waiting to be explored. Just steps from the beach, our home is a perfect place from which to explore the ocean world. Grab your snorkeling gear and head to the beach for a glimpse beneath the surface. Colorful varieties of corals and countless fish greet you as you enter the water. During the first few days you begin learning to identify the reef fish, corals and invertebrates as you snorkel on the patch reefs near Sandy Point and in the mangrove estuary at Pigeon Creek. Over a hundred species of fish are found in the waters surrounding San Salvador. Do you see the angelfish, parrotfish and butterflyfish? Each has a unique body shape, coloration, behavior and habitat preferences and, as you get to know them, you start to understand why.

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Day 6-10

Get to know plankton and marine mammals intimately.

Now that you are familiar with the coral and fish, it's time to get to know the other creatures of the sea. Take a field trip to Green Cay and White Cay to meet the endangered San Salvador iguana, as well as a variety of seabirds. Explore the tide pools seeking the marine invertebrates like shrimp, starfish and tubeworms that live in this remarkable transition zone. Back at the research center, use the microscopes to watch the movements of tiny plankton and zooplankton, the foundation of all life in the oceans. We discuss marine mammals like whales and dolphins and their unique adaptations for living in the ocean habitat. Next, we prepare for out night snorkel. Discover the magic of bioluminescence and experience the marine world's extraordinary nocturnal metamorphosis.

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Day 11-14

Never stop discovering.

You've learned so much about marine life and the importance of the oceans. Now shift your focus to their protection. Put your knowledge of the sea life to work by participating in fish counts and reef surveys. Wrap up your tropical experience with a hike to the top of the Dixon Hill Lighthouse, a game of volleyball on the beach or a few moments reflecting on how much you've learned and the great friends you've made this summer.