We have been receiving many requests regarding booking for this school year 2024/25. Please know that our office is closed for the summer and will re-open and start accepting reservations next month (date TBD) for our regular season, Jan-May. We are not ignoring you, we are just enjoying the San Diego sunshine.
The Floating Lab trip this morning was rewarded with this beautiful sight. We run trips rain or shine and had a little of both this morning. 📷 Capt Mike M.
The kids are excited about their catch.
The San Diego County Office of Education is open and ready to book your whole boat Floating Lab trip for your class. Give Holly a call or email her to get your trip scheduled. (858) 290-5986 or holly.ellis@sdcoe.net
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I loved our field trip through Pacific Coast Academy and so did the kids! Thanks for doing this!!
Jamie - this is what we were talking about. 🐟🍤🎏
The San Diego County Office of Education is open and ready to book your whole boat Floating Lab trip for your class. Give Holly a call or email her to get your trip scheduled. (858) 290-5986 or holly.ellis@sdcoe.net
I love this program! Get the kids out on the water learning.
What the heck is that??????
The San Diego County Office of Education is open and ready to book your whole boat Floating Lab trip for your class. Give Holly a call or email her to get your trip scheduled. (858) 290-5986 or holly.ellis@sdcoe.net
Do you like working outdoors? Are you a natural leader?
The San Diego Floating Lab is actively recruiting instructors for the upcoming season. Marine science/biology degree preferred, advanced knowledge of pacific coast animals and environment mandatory. This will be a temporary part time position from March-May. Drug free, clean cut, transportation, all mandatory. A pre employment drug screen will be required and references reviewed. Send resume to info@sandiegofloatinglab.com or call (619) 889-1212 for more information.
Students get real excited when they catch a lobster. Is it male or female?
Good morning ocean explorers! I wanted to give an update regarding booking your Floating Lab field trip. Rachel is back from summer break and ready to take your reservation for your schools trip. We will begin running Floating Lab trips beginning in January and end in May, but don't wait to book trips sell out quickly. The best way to get the ball rolling is to email Rachel at rachel.gustafson@sdcoe.net. If email isn't your thing, give her a call at (858) 290-5986
The students today got to observe this Myliobatis californica aka bat ray. The bat ray is found in muddy or sandy bottoms along the eastern Pacific coast.
To learn more about this and the many other inhabitants of San Diego bay, get your class, club or large group to reserve one of our 4 hour labs. For more information contact the San Diego County Office of Education at (858) 290-5986
Instructor Maggie is showing an aplysia californica, or in English a California sea hare. This is a mollusk or also known as a sea slug.
To learn more about the sea hare and other inhabitants of San Diego bay, contact the San Diego County Office of Education and book you class, club or large group on one of our 4 hour labs.
Awesome catch!
I have been very quiet on this page because we are just unsure if we will be able to run Floating Lab field trips in 2022 due to COVID-19 restrictions still in question. I have some upcoming meetings planned and may have a clearer plan in a few weeks.
In the meantime, this is what we are up against now. As a small business that has been shuttered since March of 2020 this would put an end to Floating Lab and this hands on learning experience, access to the vessels that operate the trips would become too expensive for this short field trip. Or if the vessels have to be decommissioned it will limit access to the ocean by boat in California overall. Please check out this flyer and follow this link for much more information than what I can provide in this short post and to sign the petition. www.savefishing.com
The Floating Lab is still on pause for 2021...to say that we are disappointed is an understatement. But in the name of safety for everyone involved we have to do what is right and remain closed.
I have had many groups reach out to me about when we will resume our ever popular field trip and I really don't have an answer...not yet is all I know. With most San Diego County schools still shut down for in person teaching with no end in sight, not yet is the only response I can give.
It scares me think of the future, and to wonder if we will ever be able to run our trips again. I miss them, the staff misses them, even though most have moved on to other means of employment.
I hope you will bear with me, we want to see you, and show you all the wonderful things that San Diego harbor has hidden below it's surface...just not yet.~~Dina
We are thinking ahead to 2021. We will be scheduling trips on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday only starting in January. To maintain social distancing we have limited our class size to 30 total participants. If your class, group or club would like to schedule a floating lab for 2021 please email info@sandiegofloatinglab.com, if you prefer to call (619) 889-1212, but know that I am working limited hours so a call back may take a few days.
We are also actively recruiting instructors for the upcoming season. Marine science/biology degree preferred, advanced knowledge of pacific coast animals and environment mandatory. Drug free, clean cut, transportation, all mandatory. Send resume to info@sandiegofloatinglab.com
Good afternoon! Hope you all are staying safe and sane. I wanted to update you on the status of Floating Lab. We are currently abiding by the San Diego and state guidelines and have ceased operations until it is deemed safe to resume.
Many of you may have tried to call the San Diego County Office of Education regarding rescheduling your upcoming Floating Lab field trip. Please know that the SDCOE is closed and all voicemails will not be returned until the office is re-opened. The scheduler has access to her emails and I would recommend reaching out via an email message if you need a quick-ish response. rachel.gustafson@sdcoe.net
We will update as information rolls in, but for now all trips are on pause.
Happy Monday from Floating Lab! I know since the weather is warming up, that it's tempting to throw on those sandals and let your toes fly free, but onboard the boat sandals, flip flops, soccer slippers, etc are HIGHLY impractical. Just wanted to remind everyone that closed toe shoes are required for everyone going out on the boats this season. Wet surfaces, non-skid decks, heavy equipment, rocking boats, all require proper footwear.
Last week we found the spot on the Floating Lab. These marine invertebrate are California spiny lobsters, panulirus interruptus.
Learn more about the California spiny lobster and the other inhabitants of San Diego bay on a 4 hour Floating Lab. There is space available for your classroom, club, troop or large group. Call or email Rachel at (619) 590-3911 or Rachel.gustafson@sdcoe.net
This catch was not planned and it did not take all day to pick these up out of the water. All of these expensive tokens of love were found on a 3 hour whale watching trip by @bluehorizonsportfishing Please find another way to show your love to your sweetie, marine life will not appreciate the token when they swallow this thinking it's a shiny fish.
#balloonsblow #dontreleasethem #lovenotesinstead #plantaflower #
I work in the forests of Oregon and started carrying a bag to collect all the mylar ballons I find. I have found over a hundred in the last two years. Thanks for raising awareness! ❤️
Another beautiful creature of the sea the students collected today.
A Flabellinopsis iodinea.
The students this morning were blessed with a horned shark and a banded guitar fish. Does anyone know their scientific names?
These two animals are closely related to each other, but distinctively different. The top is the horn shark and the bottom is a banded guitarfish. Both animals reside in San Diego Bay.
Learn more about these animals and the other inhabitants of San Diego Bay on a 4 hour Floating Lab.
There is still space available for your class, club, troop, or large group. Contact us at (619) 889-1212 or info@sandiegofloatinglab.com for more information.
Nice catch!
The lucky students caught a pipefish (syngnathinae) this afternoon.
This banded guitarfish is part of the Rhinobatidae family and resides in the shallow waters of the Eastern Pacific.
Come check out the banded guitarfish and the other residents of the San Diego Bay on a 3 or 4 hour Floating Lab. For information call (619) 889-1212 or email info@sandiegofloatinglab.com
Almost as good as a pot of gold. Students say we are rich.
Are they going back in the ocean?
The Floating Lab is searching for qualified team members. We are looking to fill 2 positions.
*Floating Lab instructor
*Floating Lab deckhand/assistant
*The Floating Lab is a seasonal program that runs from January-May. This is a hands on, outdoor position onboard a Floating Lab vessel. You must be able to adapt to weather and sea conditions.
*To be considered for the instructor or deckhand position you will be required to pass a pre employment drug test and will be randomly tested while employed.
*The instructor position requires you to have a bachelor's degree and have some marine science/biology/ecology education and experience.
*Deckhand/assistant instructor no formal education required. The position will require you to be able to work independently, lift at least 50 pounds un assisted, assist the lead instructor in class education, tie and untie an 85 foot boat without assistance.
All inquiries send resume to info@sandiegofloatinglab.com
Wow! Summer is almost over and we are starting to get a lot of requests for reservations. The Floating Lab starts back up for a limited fall session from November 1-15 and then full time beginning January 6 and will run through May 31. There are 3 session times to choose from, 8:30 AM, 1 PM, and 5:30PM. All sessions are 4 hours in length and can accommodate up to 40 total (including chaperones and teachers) per vessel.
Give Linsey a call at (619) 491-3183 to reserve your Floating Lab or email linsey.santos@sdcoe.net