Over 35 Horizon Honors high school students are going to depart from school at 10 p.m. on Thursday night to embark on the annual Catalina Island trip. Students will arrive at the Long Beach pier at around 7:30 a.m. on Friday morning, where they will board a catamaran to Catalina Island. The expected arrival time is noon.

Once they arrive, students will be split into groups and immediately dive into activities, including hands on labs, squid dissections, and informational sessions on the island’s unique ecosystem. Students will then don wetsuits and snorkel along the coast.

For senior Shelby Lemme, this will be her third and last trip to the island: ”I’m just pumped to be outdoors on the island again and do all different things like the day and night snorkel, rock climbing, and hiking.”

While it’s Lemme’s third time, this will be the first Catalina trip for freshman Callie Lentz. ”I’m really excited for this trip because I’ve never been on a big school trip before and the island should be a fun experience,” said Lentz.

The Catalina Island trip gives students an amazing opportunity to explore an ecosystem very different from the Arizona desert and grow closer to their peers, while feeding their knowledge for marine biology.