Second Reef Check Baja Training Course Completed

By Jessica Pantoja, Reef Check Baja California Regional Manager

Reef Check Baja has completed its second round of kelp forest monitoring training in Ensenada, Baja California! Reef Check’s staff instructors Jessica Pantoja and Dan Abbott, along with our partners from MexCal, trained 10 participants in Reef Check’s kelp forest monitoring protocols.

Participants came from Tijuana, Ensenada, and San Diego, forming a diverse group of recreational and professional divers, along with students from the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC), the Instituto de Investigaciones Oceanológicas (IIO), the Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE), and San Diego State University (SDSU).

This training is part of our ongoing effort to build local capacity for long-term kelp forest monitoring and marine conservation in Baja California, in close collaboration with our partners at MexCal and thanks to grant support from the Binational Resilience Initiative at San Diego Foundation.

The five-day in-person course kicked off with dive safety theory and practical sessions, where participants refreshed essential scuba and rescue skills in the open waters of Playitas. Through hands-on practice, students worked on buoyancy control, dive planning, and emergency response—laying a strong foundation for safe and effective underwater monitoring.

Following this ocean-based safety refresher, students moved on to two days of theory and hands-on training in the monitoring protocols for fish, invertebrates, algae, and the underwater visual point count (UPC). For field practice, they visited two diving sites: Playitas and San Miguel, both of which offered excellent real-world examples of what to expect during actual surveys.

To wrap up the week, participants and instructors boarded the Baja Diving Adventures dive boat and headed to Todos Santos Island for final evaluations. Surveys were conducted at two official Reef Check sites on the island, where the newly trained divers successfully applied all protocols. Clear skies and excellent visibility made for the perfect ending to a productive and inspiring week beneath the surface.

“This training gave me the tools to better understand the biodiversity associated with kelp forests. It helped me appreciate these ecosystems more deeply and inspired me to protect and study them.” — Manuel Vivanco

“The training was dense but practical and engaging. The team made everything dynamic and enjoyable — a truly enriching experience. I’m grateful to be part of this important collective effort” — Gibran Villa

And to top it all off, the entire experience was beautifully captured through the lens of Marco Mazza—one of our favorite underwater photographers. Stay tuned, his visual story is coming soon!

Special thanks to UABC for hosting us, to Baja Diving Adventures for boat support, and to Baja Seasters and Bucea Baja Norte for helping us connect with passionate local divers.

We are deeply grateful to our partners, and the participants for their enthusiasm and dedication. Reef Check Baja continues to grow and build a beautiful and big community thanks to people like you. ¡Muchas gracias!