Bajo Agua

The international side of the primary school takes field trips ALL THE TIME. Because their tuition is so much more they can afford it. Finally fifth grade national went on a field trip this Tuesday to see the Bajo Agua Exhibit! We drove for ages across the city to a house that has been converted into an art gallery- Centro Cultural Benjamín Carrión. Even when we were in the bus on the way there Michelle and I still really had no idea where we were going! We got there and discovered it was an exhibit on underwater photography! It was incredible! The photographer’s mom works at Colegio Americano and that is how this field trip was organized.


The photographer, Fernando Cornejo Würfl, spent a year on a sailboat traveling from the Galapagos to Polynesia, Australia, and New Zealand. He has also worked in the Galapagos. He started off using a very small camera until he won an award for a picture he captured of a blind shark. After this he was able to buy a nice camera with the prize money. His photos were really incredible.

^ My Favorite!

After allowing the kids to explore the exhibit, Fernando talked with the kids about his experiences and ocean conservation. Colegio Americano students are each paying $1 so that Fernando can arrange to bring two public schools to see the exhibit. He is going to host a competition and determine the three works (paintings, drawings, poems, etc.) submitted that best represent his message of conservation. He is going to teach those three students how to scuba dive! I think the competition really serves to keep the student’s minds on the message and learning to scuba diving will be a great experience for those students! Wish I could enter the competition!!