Snorkeling in Cabrera and Dragonera

This week the sea was our classroom. All last week we had been learning about the different species of various organisms in the Mediterranean and now we were finally able to go out in the field and see for ourselves. Cabrera and Dragonera are uninhabited islands. They are beautiful natural parks with amazing wildlife. I've never seen a place so untouched by humans. Of course there were a few municipal and maintenance buildings, along with the occasional abandoned castle and lighthouse, but other than that the island belongs to nature. It was breathtaking. Because the land and water are protected, we were able to see an incredible amount while snorkeling. Our professor, Guillem, took us out in the water and pointed out the marine species. We spent a lot of time learning about the seagrass, Posidonia oceanica. It is such an important part of the ecosystem, acting as a food source and habitat for many marine organisms. We saw different species of fish, crabs, snails, sea urchin, sea cucumbers and even starfish. My favorite however was the Pinna nobilis, also known as the noble pen shell. It is a large saltwater clam that can grow up to 120 cm! It was amazing to see this out in the water! There is so much to see in the mediterranean, I would spend everyday learning like this if I could!

View of Cabrera from the castle

Fish above the seagrass

 Professor Guillem showing another student a sea cucumber 

- Victoria S.