By Hannah Chadwick and Hannah Frazier
Can you imagine snorkeling with sharks right underneath you? Well the Tempe Prep 9th graders can because they just returned from a 4-day trip to Catalina Island on the evening of Sept. 15. This annual trip has been beloved ever since the tradition was started by Ms. Moffitt. It kicks off high school by helping new students acclimate to TPA and students of previous years, further their connections to one another.
We started off our trip by going to the Aquarium of the Pacific on the California coast, where students were able to go look at marine animals like penguins, sharks, and sealions. We even got to touch epic fish such as rays, turtles, etc. Next, we went to the USS Iowa, a battleship where we spent one night in beds that were actually used by the Navy in World War II. The guides there showed all of us a tour around the battleship and some of us even got to raise signal flags and see some of the real weaponry!
The next day, we took a long ferry ride to Catalina Island Marine Institute. When we got there we were split into small groups for activities. For example, we went hiking a few times to look at the stars and were able to look out at the ocean. The island was incredible and had a ton of marine life around it. The next morning we did some biology labs about plankton, algae, fish, vertebrates in the ocean, invertebrates in the ocean, and sharks to get a closer look at the ecosystem around the island. We learned so much while having a lot of fun. The last day activity was a squid dissection which was a bit gross, but pretty cool too.
The main attraction of our trip was the snorkeling. We did 3 snorkels total. On the first snorkel, we learned how to use all the gear and got into the water for the first time. We saw some rays and a bunch of Garibaldi fish – the state fish of California. On the second snorkel, some kids saw an octopus, camouflage kelpfish, and kelp bass. On this snorkel, the water really close to shore was filled with what looked like at least 10 sharks on both sides of the pier. The sharks were swimming on either side of people, and for some kids the sharks swam right under their noses! Leopard and Horn Sharks were the mass majority, but occasionally we got to see some other species.
Next, we got to jump off a floating platform into the ocean during the free swim. That night was the very last snorkel after sunset and the darkness gave us a new opportunity to see bioluminescent algae that glows when you move. We also came across a little baby octopus, and a tiny baby shark as well as a bunch of lobsters.
While everything was great, most people agree that their favorite thing about the trip was getting to know people while doing some super fun activities. Mr. Lambros and Mr. Joshu did an awesome job planning and supervising the trip. There were also some amazing parent chaperones and 2 teacher chaperones – Mr. Weiss and Dr. Salcido – that made the trip possible. Everyone had a great time and we hope that next year’s freshmen will have a blast too!