More than Half-Way Through!

    Tuesday was full of adventure! We started the day off with going down to the intertidal zone by the hotel Vina Del Mar, where we experiences a very rocky substrate as opposed to the varied substrate at CEDO's beach. With careful balance, and maybe some slipping along the way, we carefully picked up rocks and looked under pools to find the epifauna living and surviving in the area. We found many crabs, brittle stars, and a few more octopuses than the day before. But we also found many chitins, a couple isopods, a sea star, and a few sun stars as well! We were able to observe how the invertebrates living in that substrate would hide, or scrunch themselves up, or gather together in clusters, in order to conserve water, or moisture. We were also able to see two octopuses competing for space, with a the larger octopus pulling and squeezing the smaller octopus'  mantle on his body. After carefully making sure the little octopus was alright, we put him back in a tide pool separate from the larger octopus. Then as we tried not to slip, or roll our ankles on the rocks again, we sadly saw a sea turtle carcass, and talked about the harms of by-catching for some of the larger marine organisms in Puerto Penasco. Later we had a wonderful lecture by one of the CEDO representatives named Paloma, who told us all about marine mammals in the area as well. We then got all ready to load up the kayaks, and the snacks and water shoes, and headed to the Puerto Penasco estuary. I was able to share a kayak with my classmate Valentina, and we did not tip over at all! At the estuary we were able to see lots of shore birds like willets, and long-billed curlews, and we saw some halophytes that take in the water and keep the salt for themselves, and release water with almost no salt in it! After a long day we had dinner at Mary's Sea Food, and then headed back to CEDO for bed!

    Wednesday, or today, gave us a big change in intertidal scenery! We got to visit Cholla Bay's mudflat substrate. We found many juvenile octopuses, some worm tubes, oysters, clam, sponges, LOTS of snails, and one moon snail. Most of the animals we were able to learn about and see remnants of today were in fauna, or living down in the substrate and collecting food from their siphons or tentacles, and eat the minerals that pass through the absorbed water. After that very cold trek through the mud, we headed back to CEDO for lunch, and had lots of free time to get homework done and presentations worked on! Then we had another wonderful lecture from Paloma about the natural history of the Gulf of California, also called "The Aquarium of the World" by Jacques Cousteau. Which is a very accurate description as it is known for its extreme productivity and its extreme diversity. Then after that we went into town again for dinner at Casa del Capitain, and then went to Walmart to restock on some things, and to get some bonus items as well! Now we are all headed to bed, and very excited to go snorkeling with the sea lions at Isla de San Jorge!

Good afternoon, good evening, and goodnight! - Truman

Signing off, again, 

Liza Woolsey.