Volunteering with IOI in Galapagos: All ages welcome!

By: Michelle Warble

Volunteering with IOI in Galapagos: All ages welcome!

I was apprehensive about the IOI Galapagos volunteer program when I signed up. I knew I wanted to go somewhere and do my small part to make the world better than I found it. However, I thought that most of the people I would be volunteering with would be teenagers. As someone in their 40s, I didn’t know if I would be able to connect at all with anyone. I’m happy to say that I was very wrong. There are volunteers here from all parts of the world and of all ages. Love of travel and wanting to volunteer give us all common ground. I think the youngest volunteer to work in the program was 18 and the oldest was in their 70s. There are several different areas of volunteering. Here is more information on 3 of the 6 programs we offer in Galapagos. Stay tuned for more information on our other 3 programs!

Giant Tortoise Center

Activity Level: Medium to Difficult (walking, lifting, outdoor cleaning). Work can always be tailored to individual needs.

Dress Code: Long sleeves on feeding days, modest casual on other days (no spaghetti straps or short shorts).

More information: The tortoise center has the maximum level of activity. Each day, you walk 2 miles to the center and then spend the morning feeding the tortoises or cleaning their pens. You must be able to walk 7 km (4 miles) per day and be physically active for 4-5 hours. Most of your work will be in the shade, but some of the walking trail will be in the sun. Hours of work are to depart at 7:15 a.m. (it is a 30 minute walk) on feeding days, and 8 a.m. on non-feeding days. These volunteers typically arrive back to Isabela at 12:30 p.m. For the tortoise center, you walk on a path that takes you by ponds sometimes filled with pink flamingos, ducks and iguanas. Most of this path is shaded by mangrove trees.

Helpful hints: On feeding days, wear long sleeves that can get dirty and may be stained from the food. Other days, short-sleeved shirts are ok. You will be interacting with tourists, so make sure to dress in a somewhat modest fashion (no tank tops or spaghetti straps). Sleeveless tops are ok.

A nesting turtle returning to the ocean after laying eggs.

Turtle Nest Monitoring

Activity Level: Medium (only walking, no lifting)

Dress Code: Modest Casual

More information: Turtle nest monitoring isn’t as strenuous as the tortoise center, but does require walking 18 km (11 miles) per day, sometimes in the morning sun. This is also sometimes at high tide, where you are walking in very wet sand. It also requires a different schedule with an early morning shift (usually 6 a.m.) and a night shift that can start any time from 6 p.m.-10 p.m.

Helpful Hints: Dinner is something to plan ahead of time, since the hours differ from the other volunteers. You will be walking in the water at times, so plan to wear shorts or quick-dry trousers. You will also need a full water bottle for the watch, since it is very humid and you might be sweating a lot. For the turtle monitoring, you walk along the beach with the sounds of the ocean waves and sea birds. In the morning, you can watch the sun rise and at night, you can see the stars of the Milky Way.

Social Media

Activity Level: Low to Difficult-As much or little as you would like! The activity level can be relatively low, so this would be a good choice for someone who is looking for volunteer work that is not as physical.

Dress Code: Casual (No short shorts or spaghetti strap tops) The social media team spends their days walking around the area, taking photos, writing blogs, interviewing community members and other volunteers, and attending local events!

Helpful hints: As a social media volunteer, you can do any or all of the above to document the experience. In addition, you are encouraged to participate in other activities to document the experience. This can range from culinary adventures to fun after volunteering activities - like snorkeling, hiking or bike riding!

We hope this inside scoop on our programs (from the eyes of a volunteer) are helpful and we look forward to sharing more! Please be sure to reach out with any questions or hesitations you may have. We'd love your help in Galapagos!

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Fall Break stories and adventures

ITINERARY 1: CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN

By Claire Griffin, Study Abroad Student Fall 2019

As all 12 of us piled into the small vessel responsible for transporting us across the rough seas of the archipelago, we waved goodbye to our Isabela for the week. It did not take long to start missing our little town, especially in the comparatively huge and modern metropolises awaiting us in Santa Cruz and San Cristobal. We constantly joked about our case of micro-culture shock: “Are these roads ALL paved? Is that a multi-story building? Oh god A SUSHI RESTAURANT?!? We’re in Las Vegas!”

Our first 4 days of the journey took place in San Cristobal. Disoriented by the deceptively complex street layout (to be fair, anything more extensive than Isabela’s one main road feels complex these days) and a dwindling internet connection, we immediately got lost searching for our hostel. After moaning, groaning, and sweating under the weight of our bags, we finally arrived to our little slice of home at the hostal de Consuelos Gil. Unbeknownst to us, the Gils who owned the cozy casa were of the very same tree as the Gils in Isabela, whose members house a number of IOI students; as a result, we were practically staying with family! The following days were filled with souvenir shopping, exploring, and lots and lots of delicious food. One of our excursions included a beautiful drive through Cristobal’s highlands, with stops at a volcano crater and a tortoise breeding center, and ended at a pristine little beach (“Puerto Chino”) on the opposite side of the island. Even more exciting about San Cristobal was that we had the opportunity to meet up with other University of Miami students studying biology abroad at the island’s college (ran by University of Quito). It was great being shown around by a few familiar faces!

We spent one day in Cristobal scuba diving at Kicker Rock, also known as “The Sleeping Lion” in Spanish, with a great company called Gustavo’s Fishing Adventures. The topography of Kicker Rock was impressive alone, but the rich diversity of marine life complementing the rock’s elaborate underwater walls left us all in awe. Huge bait balls, hammerheads, barracuda, Galapagos sharks, manta rays, and more. The dive crew took great care of us both under and above-water (is there anything better than Oreos post-dive?), even adding an extra stop on a small remote island where a naturalist crewmember showed us around and told us about the local flora and fauna.

After our time in Cristobal, we headed to Santa Cruz for three days. We quickly discovered a new favorite spot on the island, the Santa Cruz Brewery, whose variety of house-made brews, board games, and amazing fajitas kept us coming night after night. When our group wasn’t dining or shopping, we were diving the amazing sites around Santa Cruz, including North Seymour and Gordon Rocks. Some only did one of the sites, some did both, but all had an amazing time. The most memorable moment in my dive experience was what we deemed “underwater rock climbing” at Gordon Rocks, and it looked exactly as it sounds. The undercurrent was so strong that day that we all had to tightly grip onto the site’s rocky wall to stay together, especially when we moved locations. The result was an activity akin to scaling a rocky cliff - if that rocky cliff were surrounded by fish, turtles, and the occasional shark!

Break ended with a cheerful and much-needed return to Isabela. While the week was full of adventures we’ll remember forever, we all agreed that none of the other islands compared to our very own “Queen Izzy” and its charming town, Puerto Villamil.

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ITINERARY 2-5: TALES FROM A LIVE ABOARD, FAMILY IN GALAPAGOS

Kaylie Anne Costa

“Welcome aboard the Galapagos Master! During fall break I stayed on a diving liveaboard exploring the Galapagos archipelago. We began our journey in San Cristobal. Two amazing dives at Baltra and a land visit to Seymour island where we saw frigates, boobies, land iguanas, and much more started the trip off with a bang. Then we headed to Darwin and Wolfe Islands, home to the largest shark biomass in the world. From endemic tiny nudibranchs, to schools of hammerheads, to safety stops with whale sharks, these two islands were more than a dream come true. …Oh and we also saw a pod of orcas. So cool! Next we sailed to the north end of Isabela island to Punta Vicenta Roca. We descended about 100 feet into dark, murky water and waited patiently. All of a sudden out of the dark blue emerged a mola. It came towards us and swam above us, right through our bubbles. That very same day we dove with the world famous marine iguanas of the Galapagos. The males dive down about 15ft and munch on the nutritious green benthic algae. We finished the trip with two more beautiful dives near Santa Cruz Island, then I raced the clock to make it onto the ferry to return in time for school the next day on Isabela. Best week ever!”

Meagan Ando

“During my fall break, I sailed for 7 days on the Reina Silvia liveaboard across the western route of the Galápagos Islands with my parents, who flew down from Jacksonville FL. We sailed from Santa Cruz to Floreana island, where we snorkeled, visited post office bay, and hiked up to the highlands. From there we travelled to Punta Moreno and Elizabeth Bay on the western side of Isabela Island, where we snorkeled with marine penguins. We visited Fernandina Island, where we spotted two Mola-mola, 2 Brydes whales, and got to snorkel with marine iguanas! We then travelled around the northern part of Isabela island and around to Santiago, crossing the equator twice. In Santiago, we hiked through a Frigate bird nesting site and a sea lion nursery and even got to snorkel with White tip sharks!! Then, my family visited my host family in Puerto Villamil and stayed for 2 days, in which we biked to the Wall of Tears and walked to the Tortoise Breeding Center!”

Max Braun

“For my fall break, I met my parents on San Cristobal to get on a liveaboard for a tour around the eastern islands of the Galápagos. We went to Española, Floreana, Santa Cruz, Santiago, and Genevesa. Some of the highlights of the trip involved diving in Floreana and Santa Cruz, seeing nesting albatrosses in Española, and seeing all three species of native boobies (Blue Footed, Red Footed, and Nazca) plus the rare Galapagos Short Eared Owl on Genevesa. It was a great way to see the eastern islands of the archipelago, and I was glad that my parents got to enjoy this special place with me.”

Agatha Freedburg

“For fall break, my parents came to visit me. I met them on Santa Cruz on Monday the 21st. The next morning we hiked to a place called Las Grietas, a picturesque ravine that you could snorkel in. I saw huge parrotfish and a moray eel! In the afternoon, we went to El Chato to walk through a 400 meter long lava tunnel and collapsed craters. Also while in Santa Cruz, we hiked the trail to Tortuga Bay and explored more of Puerto Ayora. After a few days there we returned to Isabela, where I introduced my parents to my host family, which was super cute! Later that same evening, we went to Sam’s restaurant for dinner with a couple friends, then to Uku Lounge for live music. On their last full day in the Galapagos, I took my parents along the boardwalk to the tortoise breeding center, then gave them a tour of Puerto Villamil. Later we met up with the entire group, most of whom had just returned from their fall break in Santa Cruz, at our favorite beachside bar.

My favorite part of fall break was when we went to North Seymour Island and saw many frigates, iguanas, boobies, lava lizards, and sea lions. We found booby nests and even saw part of the booby mating dance.”

We're back!

By Claire Griffin, Study Abroad Student Fall 2019

Welcome back to IOI’s blog!

Pardon the hiatus in posts; our group is just coming back from a jam-packed fall break, during which my internet connection went from abysmal to nonexistent. But we’re back and better than ever!

Picking up from where we left off, our class with Dr. Drennan ended with some amazing field trips and a number of interesting projects. We spent several days surveying the popular snorkel spot Concha de Perla, using waterproof data tables to document species diversity within the estuary.

We later embarked on a day long boat ride to the remote and beautiful western side of Isabela, where the wildlife was like nothing we had ever seen. Right off the bat, we had the rare and fantastic chance to see Galapagos’ wild orcas. The duo gave us a fantastic show, hunting and breaching amidst a huge flock of birds, and to our delight even came right under the boat to check out the 16 squealing humans on its bow. While topping orcas is near impossible, the day progressed with a number of other magical encounters: Galapagos penguins, flightless cormorants, pelicans, blue footed boobies, frigates, albatross, sea turtles, sea lions, iguanas, and even an elusive Bryde’s Whale!

Also within these past two weeks: the 10th anniversary of IOI’s inception! We celebrated with an all-day fiesta in the highlands, inviting the whole community out to enjoy all varieties of food, artisan goods, games, competitions, farmers markets, live music, and tournaments in soccer and volleyball. Most exciting, however, was the launch of a novel local agricultural program called “Maria Rosa.” This groundbreaking program creates a network for local farmers, referred to as “Red de Producción y Consumo Local,” to market their goods to local restaurants and businesses, and in addition provides courses on sustainable farming practices. Maria Rosa thus aims to be an emblem of local production and sustainability paving a bright future for Isabela and the community.

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The course finished with individual presentations on 16 endemic species here in the Galapagos. Each student conducted extensive research on their chosen species and presented on its geographic and ancestral origins, its speciation within the Galapagos, and its potential adaptations to and/or risks faced during periodic El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. I chose the Galapagos sea lion, and despite a heavy workload I genuinely enjoyed learning about the history and ecology of this charismatic species. Other project topics included everything from ferns to owls to iguanas, and everyone had a great time presenting on their chosen species!

After a tear-filled farewell to Dr. Drennan, we all set out on our various adventures. 12 of us stuck together to explore the other two main islands (San Cristobal and Santa Cruz), while the other 4 reunited with family members visiting from the US to then set off on their own expeditions, several embarking on weeklong cruises that explored the entire archipelago. Check out my next post (that’s right, you’ll be getting TWO in ONE WEEK!) to read student testimonials from both the 12-person trip and each of the individual trips. We’ll explore the myriad of adventures that Galapagos has to offer, and hopefully provide some insight for future Miami students and IOI participants planning their own excursions!

 Until next time,

Claire Griffin

Birthday Celebration, Start of a New Class, and Isabela Experiences!

By Claire Griffin, Study Abroad Student Fall 2019

Hello all!

Where did I leave off last? I believe it was Thursday’s stunning snorkel fieldtrip to Isla Tortuga. The island itself was a marvel: layers of stone jutting out of the sea in beautiful twists and folds, dotted with iguanas and all types of seabirds. Waves of bright blue water sprayed through its caves and blasted against its cliffs, while below the surface huge schools of fish darted among a city of corals, craters, and clefts.

Over the weekend I was lucky to celebrate my birthday here in paradise, surrounded by close friends both new and old. I could not express my utter joy and appreciation in words as what felt like the entire island cheered for me at the stroke of midnight while out on Friday. I spent the first day of my 22nd year learning to surf, snoozing on the beach, hunting down the best pizza on the island, and spending time with my host family.

As an additional birthday delight, BisCaydence (the University of Miami a cappella choir I’ve been in for a years) released its first professional album, “Blue Horizon,” on Spotify Friday. The group, which I consider to be a second family (or third now, when including my beloved hosts here in Isabela), is undoubtedly what I miss most from Miami; as such, the music has become my go-to homesickness remedy.

To everyone’s great excitement, the beginning of this week marked the start of our course with Dr. William Drennan. Touching on everything from climate to geography to botany to governance, Drennan’s course encourages us all to engage in thoughtful discussion and be more mindful of the world around us.

Tuesday involved a long, green bike ride from the base of Sierra Negra volcano (which we will be hiking up later on in the program) back to town, with stops along the way to observe transitions between different climate zones and their associated plant life. Drennan noted that it’s getting more and more difficult to differentiate the distinct subzones within the highlands (grouped together as the “Humid Zone”) as the invasive species introduced for agricultural purposes further their reach. Still, the rich vegetation and stunning views made the long and arduous bike ride worth it!

Until next time, Claire Griffin

Life as a Study Abroad Student

Another week in Galapagos has come and gone in the blink of an eye. Our classes with Dr. Olson have included lots of nature walks led by our guide Alfredo, complete with salinity profiles and birdwatching (two of the professor’s favorite pastimes).

Almost every day after lecture, our entire class will head to the beach for an afternoon of relaxation and various games. If you ask me, life’s simplest pleasures require only a ball, a beach, maybe a sunset, and a group to enjoy it all with.

Students spent a sunny weekend with their families and together at the popular surfer spot El Faro. It was a delight watching the locals shred alongside IOI’s very own surfer extraordinaire, Rachel Sandquist. My favorite moment of the day had to be when UGalapagos student Karen Slattery, under Rachel’s encouragement, got up on her first wave. Shoutout to Josh Zahner for capturing that scene perfectly, as seen in the picture below.

(Left: Karen Slattery, happily atop her first wave. Right: Proud teacher Rachel Sandquist pumping her fists)

On Monday we celebrated the 22nd birthday of UGalapagos student Kate Cordero with cake and a visit to the nearby tortoise conservation center! After cooing over the abundance of these adorable baby tortoises at the facility, students walked back to IOI through lush green forests and mangrove ponds dotted with bright-pink flamingos and slumbering ducks.

Looking forward to our big snorkel tomorrow at Isla Tortuga!

Thanks for reading! Until our next adventure,

Claire Griffin

Photo Creds: Claire Griffin

Weekends as a study abroad student

After a Thursday and Friday spent toiling on final projects for Social Ecology, students made the most of their second free weekend in Isabela; highlights included all varieties of water sports, intense tournaments of ultimate frisbee, hiking in the highlands, and continued exploration of our beautiful home in Puerto Villamil.

On Saturday morning, UGalapagos participated in an archipelago-wide cleanup: locals and IOI volunteers united, fanning out across the island and surrounding waters to collect all forms of pollution and debris. By the end of the day, Isabela teams had collected over 448 kg of trash!

Me and my “mom” Ruth!

Every Sunday is “family day” for study abroad students, who take time out of their week to bond with the beloved host families of IOI. This past Sunday I was lucky to spend the day with my “madre” Ruth Gomez and her extended family up in the highlands.

We hiked the beautiful Sierra Negra volcano in the morning then explored the picturesque “Equine Camp” in the afternoon.

It’s hard to decide what I enjoyed most: seeing faces young and old light up with joy when everyone took turns riding horseback, embracing what I like to call my “inner-Eliza-Thornberry” whilst bonding with the five dogs and dozen horses that call the Camp home, or learning all types of new card games with nothing more than laughably basic Spanish, a series of hand movements, astute observation that any scientist would be proud of (stay tuned for a peer-reviewed thesis on the game theory behind it all), and most importantly, a blessedly patient family to teach me.

IOI was happy to welcome the arrival of Donald Olson, or as the locals affectionately refer to him, our very own Charles Darwin! When he’s not talking about birds, he’s teaching us all about physical oceanography and the plethora of atmospheric and oceanic factors influencing the world we see around us. We started the week off strong with a 10-hour boat trip yesterday, complete with lava rock tour and two amazing snorkels. Students happily braved the frigid waters to swim with flights of sleek eagle rays and golden/cow-nose rays, a horde of baby blacktip sharks, and a number of mellow sea turtles.

Until our next adventure,

Claire Griffin

Hello and welcome to Fall 2019 U-Galapagos blog!

My name is Claire Griffin, and I’m a student in the University of Miami Fall 2019 UGalapagos program! I’m so excited to be running IOI’s blog this semester to show the world what adventures await in the beautiful town of Puerto Villamil, Isla Isabela!

Some background on me: I’m a senior at the University of Miami majoring in marine science, biology, and political science. I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, and while that’s about as isolated from the ocean as one can be in the US, irony demanded that a love of the sea be a defining feature of my life.

I knew from the beginning of my college search that marine science had to be a huge component of my higher education, so the University of Miami was naturally a huge contender: the perfect size, the gorgeous location, the renowned Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, etc. But it wasn’t until after my first tour of the school, sitting in the student lounge with one Dr. William Drennan and listening to him talk about their one-of-a-kind abroad program in the Galapagos, that I was really sold on becoming a Hurricane.

Fast-forward four years and I’ve finally made it to Isabela! We’re just reaching the two week mark, yet it already feels as if we’ve spent years in this unique little oasis. We’ve explored three different highland farms, called “fincas,” and gotten a small taste of the laborious yet satisfying work people here have made a living off of for generations. The juicy oranges, sweet pineapples, rich coffee, and giant avocados that spread across the highlands make it clear why the islands have attracted so many to their shores.

For our first class of the semester, political ecology with Sarah Meltzoff, students were tasked with interviewing residents all over the island to collect insight and knowledge on local culture and history, and how it all ties in with their specific research topics: plastic usage, lobster fishing, water quality, and local coffee production. The class wraps up this weekend as students hand in mock research proposals, based on the host of knowledge gleaned from these interviews.

I’m most looking forward to all of the days of snorkeling that await us; the single morning I spent in the water so far was easily one of the best I’ve ever had. I twirled through the water with a playful sea lion pup, leisurely drifted alongside a couple stunning sea turtles, and had a staring contest with the largest ray I’ve ever seen. If the rest of my underwater experiences here are half as amazing as that, I may never leave!

Until the next blog, CG

Learning the ropes as an IOI volunteer in the Galapagos

By Luke Nackley

Luke is a Social Media Volunteer in the Galapagos. Here he shares his insights from his first few weeks on Isabela Island.

Week 1

Exploring the island with study abroad students.

It has been a week since I landed in the Galapagos Islands; it already feels like I belong here. I don’t mean as if my whole life I dreamed of living in the Galapagos, rather, I have experienced such a fun and exciting welcome that my mind has already accepted the people I’ve met as friends and family. The people involved with IOI are eager to include me in the programs and activities around town and have become friends that I hang out with daily.

My position as a social media volunteer has given me insight in to the mission of IOI as well as the opportunity to experience the local lifestyle. It has been a week that has given me inspiration and motivation to do my best while I am here- I see IOI as a place that produces real change. Photographing the endemic species’ roaming the island, observing the Miami students in their study abroad program, interviewing locals, travelling to the highlands on farm visits… it’s a job description I can gladly say I love.

In just this first week I have settled in to my new lifestyle. Living with my housemates is never boring- chatting in the morning over hot cups of coffee, going out to eat and spending an afternoon at the beach are becoming memories I won’t forget.

“My volunteer work has been giving me amazing insight into what I might want to continue doing in life. My social media position offers lots of opportunity for adventure and meeting new people.”

Week 2

A chick rests on top of my computer as I work.

This last week has been quite action packed for me. A week ago, as I was writing my last blog, a baby chick walked in to the office. Obviously not taking notice of the very concentrated-looking human, it hopped and chirped its way on to the arm of my chair, then my desk, and finally perched itself on top of my computer. Of course, I’m not one to get in the way of someone else’s happiness and so I took a quick picture and allowed it to have its fun. A little bit of poop cleaning later and the chick was on its way out the door. This might be the only place in the world where I can start my week in that fashion.

I have learned quite a lot this week. To start, I began working on my open water diver certification with a local dive shop; they love to see me learning and constantly check up on my reading (I may slack a little on that part). I also broke a couple of mental barriers for myself. In the past I have never really been much of a dancer. I just don’t have rhythm. But, turns out all you have to do is ask a friend that loves dancing and you are bound for success; a few of my friends had a blast trying to teach me to salsa. In the middle of a crowded dance floor, I didn’t have to worry about how ridiculous I looked and soon enough I was salsa-ing the night away. To top it all off, I started surfing. I’m not the most balanced person and things like skating and snowboarding have always ended with some bruises for me. Hence, my resolve to simply observe the surfers. But, to not try while I was here would have been idiotic… and with a little beginners’ luck, I have gone to surf almost every day since then. The local surfers ended up giving me a couple lessons and still love to watch me constantly fall off my board.

I have finally become familiar with the town. Going shopping to make dinner with my housemates is a great time. And as a bonus, I now know where to find the cheapest chocolate to feed my addiction. Thinking about everything I learned, I’m more than happy with what the week brought me, and I now have some skills to master in the coming weeks.

Not me but someday I’ll get there!

Week 3

Over the last week this town has grown on me. I regularly hang out with the locals and never run out of things to do. Surfing is becoming one of my favorite activities, and I am almost done with my open water diver certification. I am starting to realize how special these memories are to me. I have also been gathering with friends regularly for things like pizza or pasta nights.

There is something to be said about pizza night in the Galapagos. Having all your friends at the IOI kitchen along with a whole lot of homemade dough. Everyone brings their toppings and shapes their own dough. What you end up with is about 10 or so misshapen, steaming hot pizzas over the span of a few hours. Instead of people eating just their own pizza, the pizza is passed around and either praised or embarrassingly critiqued. We all tend to agree that waiting on each pizza is a little annoying, but it ends up being worth the wait.

Last night the Miami students and I joined the local soccer matches. There are multiple fields in Puerto Villamil but this one is right next to the beach. They play in teams of five and only to two or three goals. Some of the teams are incredibly skilled and very competitive, but others, like mine, are just there for some fun. It is exciting watching the skilled players move the ball around so naturally. I think I should bring some popcorn next time to enjoy the show. After playing for 3 hours, my legs are plenty sore today.

My volunteer work has been giving me amazing insight into what I might want to continue doing in life. My social media position offers lots of opportunity for adventure and meeting new people. To be completely honest, however, it is easy to lose track of any work I need to do when I become ‘distracted’ by the beautiful island life.

Jamie Preira, Reflections on Cuba

Growing up in Miami, Florida I was constantly surrounded by Cuban culture – the coffee, the music, the language, and the people. Cuba has always felt like a fairytale place that I would only hear stories about or see pictures of – it was this fascinating yet “forbidden” place in my mind. IOI broke down that barrier and helped me go on a trip that’s felt out of reach my entire life; doing something I love doing – SCUBA DIVING! All of this while volunteering for a wonderful cause – restoring coral reefs!

Having lived in Colorado for 7 years now, my biggest fear heading into this trip was the language barrier and that I was traveling alone. Not to mention I felt a little rusty with my diving skills. Being forced to overcome my fears, because that was my new reality, those fears actually became the most empowering parts of my trip. Everyone I met in Cuba was always willing to help in any situation and everyone was very patient with my Spanish. The community of Cocodrilo was especially patient, kind, and friendly. My fear of traveling alone was quickly overcome by all of the new friends I was making in Cocodrilo. Reinaldo (aka Nene - the dive master and IOI representative for the project in Cocodrilo) was an amazingly patient and kind dive instructor. My fears of being rusty at diving were also quickly overcome the second we got into the water.

Getting to Cocodrilo is definitely an adventure and if you go into that with that mindset, you will enjoy the experience so much more. Knowing that the small airports, possible airplane delays and long bumpy car ride will take you to one of the most beautiful and unique places on earth is the right mindset to have. I spent a few days before my travels to Cocodrilo in Havana and Vinales and I enjoyed experiencing Cuba in this way before heading to Cocodrilo. The best part about traveling with IOI on this adventure was how supported I felt. It can be daunting thinking about arranging car rides in a foreign place, getting to the airport, traveling around an unfamiliar country in general, and dealing with delays in another language. But with IOI, I was taken to the airport by Enrique when it was time to fly to Gerona, and then received the same phenomenal service when I was arriving and departing from Gerona. It made my travels so much easier knowing that I was always going to have someone waiting for me on the other end of a plane ride.

The Havana terminal for domestic flights is smaller than for international flights and does not have much to it - there is a place to grab snacks and water, but I would recommend doing that before you arrive at the airport. The plane ride itself was short and sweet. The Gerona airport is quaint - you walk off the plane and into a small room with one baggage carousel. Once I got my bags, I left that room, found Reinaldo (a different Reinaldo from the dive master) and we were on our way to Cocodrilo! It’s about a 2.5 - 3 hour drive on a very interesting “road.” My excitement had me uninterested in the amount of time it was taking or the bumpy nature of the ride but rather taking in my surroundings and the cool, salty air. We stopped after about 30-45 minutes in the car to head to the local immigration office where I had to show my passport and my slip of paper authorizing me to head into this part of la Isla. I felt, and still feel, so lucky to have been granted access to this remote part of Cuba that most Cubans don’t even know about!

Dinner was waiting for me when Reinaldo and I arrived at “Villa Arrecife” and I quickly learned that I was going to be very well accommodated. Between having a comfortable room in a beautiful house and eating SO WELL for every meal, I was able to completely immerse myself in the experience of being in Cocodrilo.

The town of Cocodrilo is small. Really small. My favorite part of it being so small was not only interacting with locals, but really getting to know the people of the Cocodrilo. I made some great friends that I know I will maintain contact with for the rest of my life. Everyone I met was genuine, helpful, friendly, and outgoing. Living in a small town means lots of time together, sitting on the porch, walking to the beach, or watching/participating in a pick up soccer game. You get to spend lots of genuine time together - not looking at cell phones or distracted by computers - it’s magical! One of my favorite parts on the weekend was heading to the "circulo" to listen to music and talk to locals, folks from Gerona, and others from La Fey. Making sure you’ve got everything you’d need is going to be key before you head to Cocodrilo. Being in a small town means there’s not much to buy besides chips, soda, rum, and other things like this. I highly recommend following the IOI packing list and not skipping over anything!

An average day consisted of a morning dive volunteering and free time in the afternoon. Diving with Reinaldo (Nene) is a great experience. He’s patient, slow moving, and very communicative which makes it easy to feel comfortable in the water regardless of how much time has passed since your last dive.  My 3 weeks volunteering consisted of completing fish counts, conducting trash pick-ups, hunting lionfish or cleaning the PVC pipes underwater where the corals were growing. Afternoons were free time and self-driven. There’s great snorkeling and exploring around Cocodrilo. If you interested in exploring more, going snorkeling or doing more than that, there’s usually someone there who’d be happy to go with you - all you have to do is ask! I was in Cocodrilo for 3 weeks and I was never bored, and I read more books than I have in 3 years! Cocodrilo is the perfect place for disconnecting from technology and the fast-pace nature of your life. It’s a great place to reconnect to nature, recreate those genuine people to people interactions and focus on yourself!

I had such an incredible, life changing experience on my trip with IOI to Cocodrilo. Pre-Trip communication was clear and my pre-trip questions were quickly responded to. I felt extremely prepared and well informed for my trip. During my trip I felt well taken care of and supported by the IOI Cuba staff. The volunteer opportunities were very accurately advertised and the diving and snorkeling around Cocodrilo were breathtaking. The house (Villa Arrecife) is very comfortable, the community is nice, safe, and engaging. The food was amazing - delicious, filling, and healthy! It felt so empowering to be a part of this program and to be able to help. There is so much to do and so much to see in this small town! I cannot wait to be involved in another program and return back to Cocodrilo!

Study Abroad in Galapagos

Kathryn Metzker
1/10/18

After studying abroad no fewer than eight times between high school and grad school, you could say I am a big fan.  Language programs, college courses, student exchange, volunteer teaching, learning traditional Ghanaian wood carving, I couldn’t get enough.  Each type of trip was a completely different experience, but all offered me the chance to get out of my natural habitat, out of my comfort zone, and immerse myself in a new place and culture.  Years later when I started teaching study abroad programs, I found it even more rewarding than my experience in standard classroom-teaching because students are so much more excited to learn on study abroad.  They are ready for a life-changing experience, ready to broaden their minds and challenge their beliefs.  While there are difficult days when students are hot, mosquito-bitten, and completely sick of eating rice and beans, I see them rise to the occasion to make the most of their experience.  I learned that lesson first-hand in college, studying abroad in the Galapagos through the University of Miami and IOI: when you have planned, saved up money, and had to take 2 planes, a ferry, 3 buses, and a boat to get to where you are going, you are committed. 

In the Galapagos, I lived with a wonderful host family and explored the islands, studying biology, sustainable agriculture, and conservation.  There, I developed skills in adaptability, enthusiasm for cultural immersion, and building strong relationships which I still maintain today.  My strongest memory from that trip was a bike excursion I took during my first week on Isabela Island.  One morning I went up to the highlands on the side of the volcano with two other IOI students, Jimmy and Joel, to conduct interviews for a class in Political Ecology.  We were learning about where people got their drinking water on the island, looking at personal catchment systems and larger bottle distributors.  We had biked to our interview site from Joel’s host family’s farm and intended to bike back to the farm for lunch and then down the mountain back to town.  However, after biking for a few hours, we realized we had gotten lost.  Turning down random paths between jungle and farmland, we looked for familiar landmarks.  A big tree, next to some vines, a barbed wire fence, and a few boards of wood that perhaps at one time were a bench… And if you know the highlands, you know that is not a promising landmark – it describes pretty much the entire mountainside.  Still, as avid cyclists, we were enjoying our detour until Jimmy’s front tire popped.  Well now we could not even just bike straight back to town. 

Walking our bikes through the lush, steep hills was beautiful, if difficult work.  We sent Joel ahead on his bike to look for the farm, and lucky we did because Joel found his most of his host family loaded up in the truck and about to leave.  That load was full, but his host dad assured us he would be back in about an hour for us.  Learning about “Galapagos time,” we spent not an hour, but the rest of the afternoon and evening helping the rest of the family plant cassava, playing card games, and having a rollicking good time.  While nothing went according to plan, we adapted to our situation and opened ourselves to have a more fun and rewarding day than we could have expected.  An adventure, started for the sake of homework, finished with making great friends.  After years away from the island we still keep in touch.  Now that I am headed back to Isabela as IOI’s new Assistant Director for Education and Outreach Programs in Galapagos, I have already emailed my local bicycling friends and planned our next adventure!

This program allowed me to get to know amazing Galapagueños, adventurous travelers, and to get to know myself.  Through UM and IOI’s model for teaching, I found that hands-on experience and learning from local friends and teachers helped me develop and learn more than I could have in a classroom setting.  I saw my friend Erika, who had never left the US before our semester abroad and who spoke no Spanish make so many local friends over her time there by developing her talent to communicate without speaking the same language and also committing to learn Spanish.  Each of my travels has shaped my philosophy and practice of learning and adapting to other cultures. Meeting the incredible team at IOI inspired me by showing me that it is possible, and in fact crucial, for an organization to interweave conservation, community development, and international exchange.