Experiential Learning on Sierra

At Sail Caribbean's marine biology camps, our philosophy is that experiential learning – learning by doing – is the best way to gain a true understanding of marine science. Comprehensive course work is combined with hands-on field research to help you become an expert! Under the guidance of own marine biology instructors, complemented by local experts sharing their research, you'll spend an average of 3-5 hours each day of combined classroom and fieldwork time. With prior approval from your school you may earn high school academic credit.

Together we'll dive into exciting work on the Tropical Marine Environment, Coastal Ecology, Coral Reefs and the History, Culture and Geology of the BVI. This is unlike any classroom you've experienced. Our classroom is the coral reefs, open sea, mangroves, sandy beaches and the catamaran we live on. You'll hear from real scientists sharing their work, learning different marine survey techniques as you go. Fieldwork includes marine research scuba diving or snorkeling, mapping and surveying coral reefs to examine the abundance and size of ecologically important reef fish. You'll also complete a field journal, making scientific observations of your unique surroundings. Present your research and fieldwork to the staff, showing how much you have accomplished!

Your research may include studies on sea turtles, conch, fish dissections, presented in a short research paper and presentation. You may compare your data to previous research results and draw new conclusions.  And your work will form the basis for future students' research projects and continuing efforts.

Your experience is much more than marine biology studies! Rotating through daily chores and leadership roles, you'll learn that living onboard a boat means conservation, respect, leadership, teamwork, cooperation, and compromise. Learning to successfully handle a large catamaran will challenge you both mentally and physically. As we make our way through these beautiful islands, you'll learn basic sailing and seamanship skills, coastal navigation, and leadership skills such as effective communication and teamwork. Your leadership, patience, and teaching skills will be honed through community service work and cultural exchange with local Tortolan youth. You'll feel an intense pride and sense of contribution from both your research and service work. The skills you will gain from the Tropical Marine Science program are invaluable anywhere you go! Learn more about Experiential Learning on Sail Caribbean