During the July holidays, a group of Year 12 and 13 Biology students travelled to Mexico for a two-week expedition with Operation Wallacea.
The first week was spent in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, where students gained valuable hands-on experience conducting animal surveys deep in the jungle. The students had a wonderful day trip visiting the an ancient Mayan city. Calakmul ruins are huge. They are thought to be the largest archaeological site in Mesoamerica, and although they are only partially restored they are certainly impressive.
Year 13 student Alex comments that her favourite part of the trip was seeing the Calakmul Ruins, “Our group was lucky enough to climb three of the huge pyramids, which were once religious temples during the ancient Mayan civilisation. The views from the top were breathtaking as we could see the giant scale of the Yucatán jungle, which covered the ground in every direction. During our visit, I learnt so many interesting facts about the ancient Mayans, from the different trees they planted to the temple’s role in burial rites. Overall, this experience was extremely fun yet equally insightful; I will treasure it forever.”
In the second week, the group headed to the Akumal Marine Reserve, snorkelling in warm tropical waters and spotting countless turtles and tropical fish along the way. There was also an afternoon boat trip to a cenote where they got to experience an open lagoon where freshwater meets the ocean tides, creating a rich habitat for colourful tropical fish. It winds through green mangroves like a calm river and is famous for its clear water.
A fantastic opportunity for our students to put their Biology skills into practice in two incredible ecosystems!
Year 12 student Wanisha says, “the Mexico trip was so memorable for me as I got to see so many wildlife, that I never thought I ever would, one specifically being, not one Toucan but three! Which was the highlight of my trip. On the first week, the terrestrial site, we got to do many surveys on animals like Birds, Herptiles, Mammals and even Bats which was a personal favourite of mine. This trip wasn’t like any other with the opportunities I had, I got to try many things such as holding a hummingbird to petting a snake’s tail. As well as that in the second week, the marine site, I learnt so much about the sealife seeing all the beautiful marine life such as a green sea turtle, barracudas, the different types of coral and my favourite fish; a fairy basset! Overall, this trip was better than anything I could have imagined with the sunny warm weather and the great adventures I got to partake in!!”
This was a once in a life time experience for the students.
