Day 8 Saturday, October 13

It’s hard to believe that the trip has already come to an end! The class split into two groups on our last day, with interest divided by a tolerance for cold water and desire for more shopping. The first half of us ventured out to Lover’s Point, a local hot spot for snorkeling. Convincing John that preventing hypothermia was more important than looking cool turned out to be a challenge, one which was almost as hard as getting into our old, too-tight, 6.5 mil wetsuits, gloves, hoods, and booty rentals. The snorkel through a Monterey Bay kelp forest was amazing, and not too cold thanks to our excessive gear. Sea stars, fish, jellies, and crabs were the main attraction. Unfortunately, we were wearing so much buoyant neoprene that we couldn’t dive deeper than about four feet, even with a 20 pound weight belt. The beautiful kelp forest and abundant sea life combined with unsinkable wetsuits and a nearby diver’s uncontrollable sneezing fit to make snorkeling in Monterey a remarkable, hilarious, and unforgettable event.

I heard rumors that the second group had a great time, too. Admittedly, I was skeptical that they could have had more fun walking through streets of tourists than swimming through forests of kelp. To ease my doubts, I elicited evidence from Pam, my fellow video-maker. Pam showed me pictures and told me stories about strolling around Cannery Row with our knowledgeable guide, Larry. Pam had me fully convinced that touring downtown Monterey was equally as amazing as snorkeling when I saw a video of a street performer fake-playing an instrument known as the “keytar.” A hybrid between a guitar and keyboard, the keytar is an instrument that I: 1) had never heard of or seen before, and 2) feel strongly that all streets performers should play (or pretend to play) at all times. It was sad to say goodbye to California, but I left feeling “extremely yes” about the fun week and incredible course.

For a first-hand look at the California trip (including a glimpse at a master keytar player), check out our clipumentary, coming soon to the Marine Lab website!

--Sarah Rider