“Have you seen any coyotes there yet?” That was the first question my father asked me during my first phone call home of the trip. “No,” I replied, “I’m not sure if we’ll get toContinue reading
Category: Duke Marine Lab
A Mexican Mirage
Reflection after a trip like ours is no easy task. I find it challenging to pluck apart the lingering memories of Mexico, laughable to try describing the taste of shark or beauty of a dolphin feeding frenzy,Continue reading
Sharing is Caring — Desert Edition
This morning during breakfast we were picking through the rest of our supplies, trying to avoid bringing any perishable items back after our camping trip. Our Comcaác guides had run out of their short supplyContinue reading
Uncertainty as a way of life
Even after reviewing the syllabus multiple times from my dorm room in Chapel Hill, our three-week adventure to Mexico remained largely amorphous. While phrases like “multi-night backcountry camping,” “snorkel with sea lions,” and “visit withContinue reading
Bonfire stories
It is incredible to think that we have reached the middle of our trip. We just got back from our first camping trip with the Seri, and there is so much to talk about thatContinue reading
Emily Darnell
CEM, conservation, Duke Marine Lab, Gulf of California - 2018, marine studies, students, travel
CEM, conservation, Duke Marine Lab, Gulf of California - 2018, marine studies, students, travel
Sea turtles, clams, and terns oh my!
Driving down an incredibly bumpy and winding desert road, soft techno music filled the air as we steadily made our way to Punta Chueca. This small Seri town situated on the Infernillo Channel had beenContinue reading
Simple Living, Rich Memories
Dinnertime in the desert never comes soon enough, until you’re the one cooking. Especially when your group is inexperienced and making it up as you go. There seemed to be too many onions, not enoughContinue reading
Exposing Common Ground within the Ordinary
My camera is with me most places. I try to strike a balance between placing myself behind the lens and putting my camera away. Sometimes the camera facilitates a deeper understanding and association with theContinue reading
From Tin Tubes to Endless Sand and Sea
Before I stepped foot into the Sonoran desert landscape for the first time, I would have liked to spend some time reading Edward Abbey’s Desert Solitaire or Annie Dillard’s For the Time Being. Both discussContinue reading
Face-to-Face with Sea Birds in the Gulf of California
My experience at Isla Raza, this strange and beautiful sanctuary of more than 95% of the world population of elegant terns and Heermann’s gull, inspired my reflection on the sea birds I saw in the Gulf of California.