Our Outdoor Leader Semester students are more than halfway through their 65-day adventure in Costa Rica.

The group recently spent a week in Bocas del Toro, Panama, learning how to scuba dive and completing lifeguard training. We are happy to share that all nine students passed the practical and written exam and are now scuba certified.

Exploring the coral reefs and spectacular sea life in Panama proved to be one of the biggest course highlights for many of the students so far.

“If a world unknown is looked upon as a world of wonder beyond any other, it is with great intent that the world of scuba diving is utterly divine,” said Sondra, F. of Needham, Massachusetts.

“Nothing can be said outloud but only in your mind,” she added.

“Words cannot describe the experience of scuba in the Caribbean,” agreed Danny H. of Wake Forest, North Carolina.

“Being able to breathe in a world unnatural to humans was mind-blowing.”

While in Panama, the students also completed a night dive, diving under the light of the full moon to view bioluminescence.

“The night dive was spectacular,” added Veronica R. of Alameda, California.

“It looked like the stars were scattered on the sea floor – a whole mini-galaxy amongst the sea grass. This was the closest I’ve come to being in space, suspended deep in the water.”

Scuba diving in Panama also taught the group new leadership skills.

“I learned how to communicate without words,” said Liz D. of Wilder, Vermont. “It was fantastic.”

The group is currently in the Central Valley of Costa Rica completing a 10-day hike through the rainforest to the community of Piedras Blancas.

The students are on course for 65 days earning certifications that cultivate their leadership skills and give them unique insight into the field of outdoor education.

For more photos of the students in action, visit our Facebook page, and be sure to check back on our blog for more student updates.