Greetings from the Galapagos Islands

The jet lag is over, the research papers are turned in and regular classes are back in session.

But the students who traveled to the Galapagos Islands during winter interterm were still bubbling with the excitement of their trip Friday morning as they exchanged photos and watched a video of the trip that is at the heart of Environmental Science 227, Chapman University’s annual study expedition to the islands famously studied and explored by Charles Darwin.

It was an unforgettable trip, said environmental science and policy major Madison Hoffacker ’13.

“The first day in the islands was actually one of my favorite days. It might have been just because it was all so new to me. We went to one little island that must have been just a few little acres. It was like one huge beach. It had sea lions and marine iguanas, it had a dead whale on it and there were sharks around the island and tons of birds. It was just so cool because we knew what we were going to be getting into over the next several days,” Hoffacker said.

The striking photos in the slideshow here were shot by business major Severiano Garza ’12, who is also pursuing a minor in art.

Fred Caporaso, Ph.D., professor, Schmid College of Science, has led the study trips since 1986.