Vermilion Sea Institute

Aventureros is a youth program in the town of Bahia de Los Angeles in Baja California, Mexico. There is no cost for children or families to participate. The objective is to help local youth develop an interest in conservation and the natural world to prepare them to make future choices that protect local species, preserve their marine environment, and if applicable, use safe and sustainable fishing practices

The Aventureros are a group of young “ecowarriors” who eagerly team up with local and international conservation efforts to learn about, participate in, and promote one another’s missions. They have contributed to ongoing research on whale sharks with VSI, sea turtles with Grupo Tortuguero , microplastics with The Big Microplastic Survey. In these instances Aventureros are often trained citizen scientists who contribute local data to worldwide research efforts. The Aventureros have also worked with ProNatura and the Comisión Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas to learn and grow local conservation efforts.

Despite the incredible biodiversity in the area, local youth have traditionally had very limited access to the waters of the Sea of Cortez outside of fishing. Recognizing that access to the study of this environment and species should not be limited to stationed and visiting scientists, VSI created Aventureros to help local youth and teens discover Bahia’s marine and terrestrial ecosystems, learn how humans impact these ecosystems, and most specifically, learn deeply about whale sharks and the work that goes into protecting this endangered species. To achieve these purposes, young people living in Bahia are invited to participate in programs concurrently with visiting scientists, participate in data collection, and help design educational activities. Additionally, a structured curriculum is actively being created by a team of volunteer educators and scientists, to support these students throughout the school year, and to offer enrichment activities during the summer months.