Students from The Sanibel School recently took part in Adventures in Paradise’s Sea Life Encounter Excursion, an educational initiative that aims to foster respect and love for marine ecosystems.

On Feb. 23, fourth- and fifth-graders participated, then second-graders on March 1. AIP donated the trips in its commitment to environmental education and the promotion of sustainable practices.

Departing from the Sanibel Marina and heading to Picnic Island, a marine biologist guided the hands-on educational experiences. Students were introduced to marine life through a supervised netting activity, which allowed them to gently capture and observe various sea specimens, such as puffer fish, file fish, shrimp, seahorses and more in touch tanks.

AIP reported that the excursions provided the opportunity for the students to learn not only about the sea life that they discovered, but also about the importance of conserving the waters, grasses and habitat of marine creatures, like dolphins and manatees.

“Our Sea Life Encounter Excursion is more than just an educational trip; it’s a commitment to giving back to the communities we cherish,” owner Evelyn Stewart said. “We started doing this cruise back in 1994 and we are always excited to hear back that some of the kids were so taken with the ‘adventure’ that they ended up being marine biologists as a career.”