Being a part of Intro to Oceanography at St. Louis University-Madrid means being able to take class trips to Cabo de Palos and Cartagena, Spain, to discover and discuss the coast and the wildlife.
On Friday morning, we left Madrid and headed for Cabo de Palos, a coastal town in the Murcia region famous for its iconic lighthouse and spectacular location for divers and researchers alike.
After arriving, our class visited an educational center that explained why Cabo de Palos is so special. The Mediterranean Sea is one of the 25 biodiversity hotspots worldwide, with a significant portion of the plants and animals in the basin being endemic, or native only to that specific area.
Cabo de Palos is also home to Islas Hormigas Marine Reserve. The reserve was established in 1995 to protect Cabo de Palos and the Islas Hormigas. The reserve now stands as both a research center and a sanctuary for Mediterranean wildlife.
The center took us on a boat ride along the marine reserve. From the boat, we got to see some famous dive sites, like Bajo de Dentro, where we got to see the highest point of the rocks and some schools of fish.
After the boat ride, we got to try out snorkeling. Snorkeling along the coast meant we got to see tons of different marine life. Be careful swimming here, though, as it is very rocky, and you are always at risk of getting stung by a sea anemone!
Saturday morning, we took a drive over toward Cartagena and got to hike along the coast of Portman, a site where millions of tons of mining waste were dumped over a three-decade period. This hike was beautiful, and we got to see gorgeous views.
’27 on a class visit to Cabo de Palos and Cartagena, Spain. PHOTOS: LISBETH URENA ’27/THE HAWK
After our trip to Cartegena, we traveled back to Cabo de Palos to try out scuba diving! It was an experience like no other to be able to dive beneath the waves, explore the ocean floor and see all the fish close up.
We ended our trip to the coast by visiting Mar Menor lagoon in La Manga to try out paddleboarding. We paddleboarded to Deer Island, where our professor taught us about the different islands, one of which, Isla del Barón, once held a Russian princess.
It was a weekend full of fun and discovery, and I got to try out so many things I had never done. It was unlike any other class trips I had been on before.
