Academic News

Holly Padgett holds a baby turtle

As is always the case, we had a very busy week here at SFS Mexico. Monday was another exciting Directed Research day. Students went with their respective professors to collect the data that will be used to help Puerto San Carlos and the unique social and environmental problems the town faces. Tuesday we were off camping! Our first stop was ASUMPATOMA. After digging up turtle nests that were ready, we helped the little guys out onto the beach and watched them as they scurried towards the water. With a 1 in 1000 chance of survival these guys have some challenges ahead of them, but we're optimistic. That night we broke up into groups and patrolled the beach for nesting females. We found two nests that we were able to dig up and relocate to a safe nursery, far from predators. The next morning it was a stop in Cabo San Lucas. Observations and data collected there will be used in a comparison essay between the development patterns of three towns including Puerto San Carlos. Cabo is a stark contrast to what we see everyday in town, and it was exciting to be in a city again! That evening we set up camp in another natural protected area-Sierra de la Laguna. This area is a fresh watering hole with water that provides for the surrounding communities. We had the chance to cool off underneath the waterfall and slide down a natural rock slide. Spaghetti cooked over the campfire tasted delicious that night. The next day we drove to Cabo Pulmo to visit the Pacific Ocean's northernmost coral reef. Snorkeling in the area we saw rays, sea lions, turtles, and many beautiful fish, along with unique coral. An evening of fresh tuna caught that day along with rice and beans cooked on the stove and we retired to our tents tired, full, and very happy! Finally, it was a day and night out in La Paz. After a much deserved shower and dinner of pizza (Mexican food is divine, but pizza hits the spot sometimes) we went out to see what La Paz has to offer. A good night's rest on comfortable beds and we were all ready to return to our home in San Carlos. We packed the week and now, it's time to study for exams before we all head off on our mid-semester break! Dr. Rebekka Goodman, Lecturer in Economic Issues in Sustainable Development

Student Reflections

Katie Nelson looks at a turtle egg with Gustavo

We just got back to campus, tired and dirty, from a five day camping trip. The trip started out at ASUPMATOMA, a natural protected area that monitors nesting sea turtles and operates a hatchery to protect the eggs. While there, we helped release around 500 baby olive ridley sea turtles. They were so small that two of them could fit in the palm of your hand. It was amazing to see these little guys crawl, flipper by flipper, to the sea and get pounded by enormous waves. The waves were so strong that we weren't even allowed to swim at this beach, but I guess these baby turtles have to get used to the difficult life that is ahead of them. We had named them, kissed them, wished them buena suerte, and sent them on their way. I can only hope that some of these baby turtles will be among the adults that make it back to ASUPMATOMA in around 30 years. I am so thankful that we all got to experience this trip together- it has been long and tiring, but it has brought us closer together and I know that we will all remember it for a lifetime. Katie Nelson, St. Mary's College of Maryland

During our fifth week, we spent the majority of our time on a camping trip visiting various nationally protected areas and tourist sites. We spent two nights in Cabo Pulmo, which is a very small town centered around eco-tourism on a minimal scale. Our campsite was in an absolutely beautiful location right on the beach. Some of us spent the night outside

Max and Ashley dig to find baby turtles

because it was so breathtaking to see all the stars and hear the ocean while going to sleep. We spent two of the days snorkeling near the coast in national protected areas that held an amazingly abundant array of fish and invertebrates. Swimming amongst vast expanses of coral, we saw a colorful collection of different shapes and sizes of exotic fish. The highlight of the snorkeling for me was swimming with moray eels. I was off by myself, snorkeling with the rest of the students that were not sick (the majority of the students caught a nasty stomach bug, unfortunately), when I spotted an eel swimming underneath me only a few meters away. Curious, I decided to follow the sea creature until it disappeared underneath the coral. I stopped swimming, trying to locate where the elusive eel had gone when another one swam out from the coral. I began to slowly chase the eel when two more eels joined the first. After watching the eels interact with themselves and their ecosystem for a while I headed in. I was absolutely blown away by the grace and ease with which they moved throughout the sharp coral. We also managed to spot a sea turtle and a small spotted manta ray. This was my first time snorkeling in the ocean and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I'm absolutely stoked to see what will happen on the next camping trip! Max (Henry) Maxfield, University of Denver

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