Forty students from AP Biology and Marine Biology classes took a trip to Catalina Island from Jan. 18-20 with AP Biology teacher Cheryl Lenz, Marine Biology teacher Jill McCrystal, assistant principal Brian Safine and math teacher Andrew Shoemaker.

During the three-day trip, the students stayed at Catalina Island Marine Institute (CIMI) at Toyon Bay and participated in activities led by camp counselors.

On their first day on the island, students climbed two-story rock climbing walls and took part in a nighttime astronomy hike where they learned about constellations and the stories behind them.

On the second day, students went snorkeling twice, once in the daytime and once at night with wetsuits and flashlights.

On the last day, students participated in numerous hands-on labs where they learned about topics including oceanography, plankton, sharks and invertebrate.

“In general, the Catalina trip was a great experience,” junior Prisha Samdarshi said. “The amazing activities and labs made up for the lack of WiFi and cell service. I would recommend it to anyone who loves the water and learning new things.”