Great fit for those who love the water and marine ecosystems
Seeing another culture that lives in a different way from Americans made me think more critically about how sustainability works based on how a country works and why their efforts have much different focuses than ours do here.
Published:
Thursday, 07 Dec 2023 Author:
Annika Swope
This program allowed me to fully immerse myself into ecosystems that I am passionate about, including identifying marine species in coral reefs, observing behavior of marine megafauna such as humpback whales, whale sharks, and dolphins, and learning about the crucial role mangroves play in marine environments and observing marine species that thrive in estuaries. We helped contribute to long-term studies on humpback whales, collect plankton samples to be observed under a microscope, participate in a beach clean-up, and discuss human impacts on the environments and species we saw.
I came back from this program feeling more self-assured and open-minded. Seeing another culture that lives in a different way from Americans made me think more critically about how sustainability works based on how a country works and why their efforts have much different focuses than ours do here. I left feeling more confident after getting my scuba certification and going on many dives to observe coral reefs. Without this program and a supportive, optimistic group of people cheering me on and pushing me to be my best, I may not have ever gotten my certification here in the United States.
This program is a great fit for anyone who loves being in water and is passionate about marine ecosystems and species. It is also a great opportunity to see how others live and to visit a community differently than ours. We got to visit a school and see how their education works, attend their Independence Day celebration, and visit a village with lifelong residents. Everyone we worked with on our program was so amazing, kind, friendly, and patient, and it was wonderful working with all of them! It is easy to tell that they love what they do and are excited to teach and show you everything their community has to offer, which makes it so easy to get out of your comfort zone and try new things every day. From local food, an assortment of water activities like snorkeling, surfing, and scuba diving, meeting the friendly street dogs who love to walk and explore with you, playing beach volleyball with the locals, and enjoying the natural beauty of the ocean, it leaves you so tired but so full of valuable new memories and experiences.
This program was truly life-changing, and I am so happy I had the chance to go on such a transformative journey before my senior year, along with gaining such valuable educational and professional skills. I was able to see things I had only ever seen in documentaries and aquariums and got to see them in their natural habitat unique to that region of the world. If I had the chance, I would go on this program again in a heartbeat!
Name: Annika Swope
Status: Senior
Major: Environmental Studies and Sustainability
Hometown: Muskegon, Michigan
Program: Marine Biology Internship in Mozambique