JAN 411 - TRAVEL: Coral Reefs & Culture in the Philippines

Course webpage: JAN 411

Level: Upper-division (400 Level)

Please note: First-year students are not permitted to travel internationally for Jan Term

Travel dates: Sunday, Jan. 5 - Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025

Course fee: $4,200

Contact: Roy Wensley, rwensley@stmarys-ca.edu

Students in this course will learn about the organisms, structure/function, and biogeochemistry of Philippine Coral Reefs. Additionally, students will experience and come to understand the culture and history of the Philippines. To study the coral reef environments they should become SCUBA certified. If the class does not fill with those who will be SCUBA certified by January 2025 then students wishing to snorkel can enroll.

At the beginning of Jan Term we will fly to Manila to start our study of the fascinating history and culture of the Philippines. We’ll be there for four days of tours, museums, and cultural experts giving us presentations at La Salle University in Manila. Next we fly to Bicol to visit the stunning Mayan Volcano National Park and snorkel with whale sharks (completely herbivorous) in Donsol, Philippines. On January 12 we will travel by airplane/bus/ferry to a PADI five-star dive center at the Puerto Galera UNESCO Marine Reserve on Northern Mindoro Island. For the next six days students will study and examine this biodiverse and amazing coral reef environment. We will also have a one-day trip inland to experience the small village culture and rain forests found on Northern Mindoro Island. On January 19 we take ferry/bus and airplane to El Nido on Palawan island. In El Nido we will kayak to a wildlife preserve on Cadlao island and through the complex mangrove ecosystem near there to learn about and better understand the connections between the mangrove and tropical forest habitats. We will also visit one beach voted one of the top five most beautiful in the world and zipline at sunset to a neighboring island. Lastly, we take a ferry to Coron, Palawan, to dive on some incredible coral gardens and reef-covered wrecks from World War II. We will also experience the stunningly beautiful Kanyangan Lake with its karst limestone mountains and visit with its indigenous, local inhabitants.

Students will return to campus January 26, 2025, with a robust understanding of amazing coral reefs and the history and culture of the Philippines.

Prerequisites & Notes

Any college-level course in science, sociology, history, anthropology, mathematics, or permission of instructor. These requirements ensure a emotional and intellectual maturity in participants needed for the intensity and level of instruction due to the type of activities.
Students who are SCUBA certified or willing to become SCUBA certified will be given preference in registering for this course. It is likely there will be some spaces left for students who want to snorkel but not be SCUBA certified.
Attend at least 1 information session and both pre-departure sessions.

General Travel Requirements

Attend at least 1 Health & Safety Orientation (October)
Submit a valid passport (November)
- Apply or renew no later than September for on-time delivery
Submit completed & signed health forms + proof of vaccination(s) (November)

Note: Failure to complete one or more of the above requirements will result in an immediate drop from the course. Once registered, all course fees are non-refundable.

Credits: 3-CU