JAN 411-01 - Coral Reefs, Caves, & Cultural History in Curaçao & Bonaire

Travel dates: Monday, Jan. 5 - Friday, Jan. 23, 2026

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

Course Fee: TBD
Learn about the Jan Term Travel Scholarship for additional funding.

This fee includes:
Airfare, Local Transportation, Lodging, Meals, Excursions (e.g., museums, tours, etc.), Gratuity, Travel Insurance ($35/student - international classes only), Miscellaneous, Diving costs

Estimated cost outside of course fee:
SCUBA certification costs

Students who are SCUBA certified or will commit to becoming Scuba certified will be given preference. SCUBA Certification can be completed in Bonaire. Students will need to pay an additional $190 for online coursework + $375 for pool work and check out dives in Bonaire.

This course combines biology and geology, history and anthropology in a study of coral reefs, cave ecology, and historic and contemporary Caribbean culture. These islands’ variety of habitats (mangrove and tropical dry forests, salt flats, marshes, desert, and coral reefs) and diversity of people brought willingly or not are the foundation for the fascinating culture that has emerged on these islands. On January 5, 2026, we will fly to the island of Curacao (there January 6-12) to delve into the history of this once center of the Atlantic slave trade. We will also visit a large cave on Curacao (and later a unique cave on Bonaire) and understand their relationship with coral reefs. Then we fly to Bonaire (January 13 to 22) to explore the best coral reefs, some of the most fascinating habitats, and contemporary culture in the Caribbean. We will return to Curacao the evening of Jan. 22 and return to San Francisco on Jan 23. Arriving on Curacao, students who are not SCUBA certified before the trip will complete the in-water portion of their open water training course and become fully certified SCUBA divers. On Bonaire’s reefs, we will develop an understanding of reef development, how biogeochemical cycles impact that development, threats to coral reefs, and how the diverse biota of reefs affect each other. Because of the restrictions on Bonaire, students will need to be SCUBA certified before we get there or finalize their certification when we first arrive in Bonaire. I will work with students to support them in this. Certification costs will be on top of the course costs.

ITINERARY

Pre-departure: Introduction and doing online portion of PADI Scuba Certification

Week 1

Monday, Jan. 5: Depart from SFO
Tuesday, Jan. 6: Arrive in Curaçao
Wednesday, Jan. 7: Curaçao
Tour Curaçao Museum (art /history) info@thecuracaomuseum.com; Van Leeuwenhoekstraat z/n in Otrabanda and visit Fort Amsterdam.
Class topics: Local, native, and colonial art
Thursday, Jan. 8: Curaçao
Kura Hulanda Museum-anthropology and history of Slave trade in Curaçao; Afternoon Curaçaoish Museum of Colonial Period
Class topics: Slavery and colonial period in Curaçao
Friday, Jan. 9: Curaçao
Curaçao Plantation and factory KaGrootst and Chobolobo distillery tour. Go hear island music in the evening.
Saturday, Jan. 10: CHRISTOFFEL NATIONAL PARK (www.christoffelpark.org)
Sunday, Jan. 11: Curaçao
Morning tour of Hato Hato Cave
Afternoon flight to Bonaire

Week 2

Monday, Jan. 12: Bonaire
Rent vans and check in to Captain Don’s habitat
Tuesday, Jan. 13: Bonaire
Students getting water portion of certification all day; Those already certified have boat Dive am; shore dive afternoon.
Class topics: Coral reefs and geology
Wednesday, Jan. 14: Bonaire
Students getting water portion of certification already certified have Boat Dive am; Shore dive afternoon
Thursday, Jan. 15: Bonaire
Morning students finish water portion of certification; Afternoon all have boat dive; shore dive afternoon.
Class topic: Coral reefs
Friday, Jan. 16: Bonaire
Morning boat dive; Night dive in the evening
Saturday, Jan. 17: Bonaire
Morning and afternoon boat dive; Night dive in the evening
Class topic: Coral reefs
Sunday, Jan. 18: Bonaire
Morning boat dive; Afternoon shore dive; Go hear music in the evening
Class topics: island history/geology

Week 3

Monday, Jan. 19: Bonaire
Morning boat dive; Afternoon: Washington-Slagbaai National Park
Class topic: coral reefs
Tuesday, Jan. 20: Bonaire
Class to Pekelmeer Flamingo Sanctuary, Onima Indian Cave art, Mangrove Center Hike and tour afternoon
Wednesday, Jan. 21: Bonaire
Do cave tour morning and afternoon
Thursday, Jan. 22: Bonaire
Morning cave tour
Afternoon flight to Curaçao
Friday, Jan. 23: Curaçao
Final exam
Depart from Curaçao, Arrive at SFO

Prerequisites & Notes

Attend at least 1 information session
Complete any ONE college-level course in Science, Anthropology, Sociology, History, Religion, a Collegiate Seminar, or Economics
Receive instructor permission. Scuba diving is a very critical component of the course; students who are or will become certified scuba divers will be given preference in enrollment.

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.

Please check the Jan Term Travel website for information session, registration, and deposit information.

FAQs

Credits: 3-CU