Our trip to Puerto Penasco and our stay at CEDO was an incredible experience. There is a quote by Jacques Cousteau that I think sums up our experience quite well: "The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever".

Kayaking in the estuary

On our last day of our Marine Biology study abroad, we kayaked

into Morua Estuary to learn more about how these soft bottom habitats are home to the young of many fish and invertebrate species like blue crabs (earning estuaries the nickname of "nurseries") as well as a resting and nesting place to many migratory birds like terns, egrets and oyster-catchers (black and white birds seen in picture). Estuaries are shallow bays where freshwater from the land, empties into protected bays of the ocean, creating water that has a mixture of saltiness or salinity. Oysters are raised here in Morua estuary and then sold in local fish markets. This CEDO (saaaydoe) ecotour was guided by Paloma and it was a great learning activity to end our marine biology study abroad.

Certified open water divers!

Three of our class got their SCUBA certifications while diving with the sea lions thanks to the excellent instruction of Glenn Bennett. Congratulations Kayla, Kymri and Elizabeth!

Swimming with LIONS !!!

Being a student that has taken a marine biology class and has studied the sea lion i can say that through all the videos/books/and pictures i have seen absolutely nothing can prepare you for the extreme beauty of seeing the sea lion in its natural habitat up close and personal.  The acrobatic abilities of these creatures within the water are mind blowing.  I am so glad i took this trip to be able to have experienced these amazing creatures.

Not to mention getting the bragging rights of being able to say you got to play in the water with a bunch of sea lions =)

For whatever we lose... it's always ourselves we find in the sea. - E.E. Cummings

Today was a sad day indeed as we all packed up to leave CEDO. It was an incredible week jam packed with learning and amazing experiences. Staying at an institution completely dedicated to the conservation of marine life was amazing all on its own. There are so many efforts being aimed at educating fishermen and locals about what can be done to protect endangered species. The people at CEDO are extremely passionate about oceanic life and can't help but do everything they can to spread conservation awareness.

Here are a few more pitctures and videos of some of our adventures and the organisms we fell in love with along the way.

On the left is the Decorator Crab. Their survival is based on their ability to cover themselves with other ocean organisms. Kudos- they can be tough to spot!

On the right is a snail with the operculum protecting it from us. Snails have a muscular foot they attach to this "shield" that they draw in when tides are low so they don't dry out or get eaten by predators.

Here we have the flat worm on the left. We found quite a few of these tidepooling and really came to appreciate their beauty in the water. Not only do they have awesome coloration, they move like little dancers with their almost pleat-like bodies.

The octupus find was huge for us! We actually found two of these pigmy octupuses that morning in the tidepools and could hardly get over it. So fascinating to watch their tube feet attach to the glass (or your hand!).

The sea lions were everything I had hoped for. I was lucky enough to go diving at Bird Island and they are absolute teases in the water. A big group of them would come up and surround us, watch us, and get within arms length only to do a sly twirl away with a kick of their fins.

The sea turtles at Cet Mar were a major part of what I was looking forward to on the trip! There were five of them in a large pool that would swim right up to you and let you pet them on the head and feel their shells. Dr. C rounded up some food for them as well that just so happened to look like human fingers. We were careful with that :)

Puerto Penasco trip was....

AWESOME!!!!  I have been to Mexico before but this experience definitely blows all the past visits away!  I got to see and hold a lot of the marine life i learned about in Marine Biology while tide pooling with the crew! Also got to pet GIANT sea turtles at the aquarium in C.E.D.O  and  SWIM WITH SEA LIONS while snorkeling!  Sea kayaking was also a blast!!

This trip is completely worth your time!  Amazing people and experiences!!

Good things will happen, if you really want this

Be honest, I have never been on ocean or sea before, I wanted lie on beach close to ocean, I wanted see and at least touch see lion, as well as try kayak, dive or snorkeling, or just get away from cell phones, internet for at least a week. And guess what wish came true, I had all of this in one trip and much more. I think I need tell big thank you to our directors/teachers, because they made this trip fun for all students. If you tired of noisy daily routine and have one week of free time, advise to visit Rocky Point, and it will be way more fun if you will be able to go through Study Aboard Program.