Catalina Island Marine Institute

Well, my children just came back yesterday and told me how awesome experience they had. However, one thing that really upset me and did upset children was that the Institute treat children less than chaperons comes to meals.
According to my children, 13 and 18 years old, students’ meals were different from adult chaperons. The adult chaperons get more variety of food than student.
For example, at breakfast, students get waffles and syrup and sausage, while chaperons and their staff get waffles and syrup, whip cream, stawberry, franch toast, and sausage and bacon. The children had no choice but to drink awful taste water, while staff members and chaperons were having choice of drinking coffee, tea, and hot chocolate.
The students were receiving less verity than their staff member and chaperon!
If this is right thing to do, then that is totally WORNG!
The children loved all activities, but treating our children less than working staff member and chaperons is not exceptable!

I came here for 2 weeks for summer camp when I was 16 (that was in like ’98). It was so much fun and a really memorable experience.
You get to pick out a schedule, sign up for activities and classes. There is always a lot to do and you will never be bored. I did biology classes (and I remember re-​learning some of the stuff I had just done in High School biology class). They take you out often on those weird square boat things to go do research with the ocean. muahaha. I also did some night hiking sky watch thing, it was very cool to be able to see stars out there away from most of LA’s lights. Oh and I touched a baby small shark in a touch tank they had (don’t worry they were releasing the creatures back shortly, they’re all about research and conservation here). Seriously though, I PET A SHARK. and a bat ray, but I had done that before at the Monterey Bay Aquarium so no big deal… no it’s still awesome. I will remember those textures the rest of my life. They also had kayaking, snorkeling, arts & crafts, etc etc etc. Your typical camp activities. So much to do.
We had a number of great instructors and counselors (and some that sucked, but I think that’s what you’re going to find anywhere). The counselor I had was fantastic. :)
We had a buffalo named «Herbie» that wandered into our camp area, he was there the whole time I was at camp. He would wander into the quad with the cabins at night! I would sit on the railing and stare at him. It was so cool. (We were told to move by him at a fast walking pace when he was out and about on the grounds, no running, lol). I took home a stuffed buffalo to remember him by.
I had this awesome yellow t-​shirt from the camp, but I lost it within a week of being back home. so sad. All i remember is that it was really soft. Heh, I dyed my hair 3 or 4 times in the 2 weeks I was there… I also dyed the hair of one of my friends there. I wonder how her parent’s took that when she got home? heheh.
The food was ok, I wasn’t really that impressed but it will keep you going. They do like a school dance/​costume party thing so be ready for that, as well as a talent show. Movie nights were ok (we watched speed 2 where they crash a cruise ship).
Basically, your typical summer camp, but on freaking Catalina Island. I definitely recommend shipping your kids off here.

What a great and fun learning experience!!!
I went as a teacher chaperone, and its my second time as such, and third time in all (i also went as student).
Sleeping conditions are not the best you sleep in stinky rooms that on;y have mattresses, and its exhausted as a a chaperone but the kids have fun and thats whats important.
They do many activities which include but are not limited to:
–touching sharks, sting rays, sea urchins and other cool sea life
–snorkel (we saw leopard sharks, and garbaldi
–hike
–go to labs and look at anthropods under microscopes
–go through a pitch-​black maze
Its a wonderful experience, especially for students who have not and my not go camping or such, on their own. Only time I did not enjoy it was when it was freezing cold last year and they made us snorkel as it rained… not enjoyable.

Chaperoned a high school group for three days/​two nights. From start to finish, this was a fabulous experience. I’ve been to about 50 countries, flopped in abandoned warehouses/​stayed in top rated five star hotels, flown first class/​hiked for miles, snorkeled Belize/​Indonesia/​Galapagos/​and more, could go on and on… all this to say, I’ve been around the block and back. I came home five days ago and I’m still on a high! Loved to hear the students remark, «This is the first time I’ve…» The instructors were patient and obviously adore their jobs. They were kind to the students and appreciative of the chaperones. As one instructor quoted his boss, «This is a well oiled machine.» LOVE!!!

ZERO STARS!!!
I enjoy telling this story because this was the worst trip I have ever been on (back in 2003). The instructors were so cheesy and seemed like they didn’t like their job — or middle schoolers. I think it’s time to tell the instructors to let the «Rocky!» «YO ADRIAN!!!» jokes go, this isn’t 1976 and you are not 21, you are like 40. How about something we can actually relate to.
Another great experience was how they would get mad at the entire class if someone was tired. So we’re on a bus for 8 hours, and you wear us slap-​out on hikes and then we eat all this crap food on the FIRST DAY and you expect us to go on another hike when it’s dark and freezing and listen to some B.S. ghost story? REALLY? I fell asleep on my friend’s SHOE that’s how awful it was.
The second day was snorkeling. oh man, ya gotta love the urine-​ridden wetsuit and the broken goggles. Third day — kayaking. Probably the only fun part… but that might’ve been because we were LEAVING as soon as we got back to shore.
Now for the cabins… how does sleeping on a rusted cot with a prison mattress, a dirt floor, and all the while you’re on a slant with a spider dangling in front of your face? *sigh* I’ve been camping so many times and never experienced anything like this. The only nice part was a) the scenery and b) the sweatshirt I got. I still have that thing and, man, is it warm.
The only time I’m going to Catalina Island is for a real vacation, and for the future, my future children will NOT be embarking on this trip! EVER!

Fun but cabins are really bad and the food is terrible. We found hairs in it.