Gulf of California Field Course Overview and Application
2025 Gulf of California Program
Stanford’s Gulf of California Field Course is an immersive quarter-long program that investigates oceanography, ecology, animal behavior and humanistic elements. The program begins with three weeks of background lectures, labs, discussions and field trips at Hopkins Marine Station in Pacific Grove, California. The next four weeks take place in Baja California Sur, Mexico, where students will conduct oceanographic and ecological surveys, learn how to catch Humboldt squid, see fishing/aquaculture operations and visit cultural sites. After returning to Hopkins Marine Station, the final three weeks will wrap up with data analysis, project preparation and a final symposium.
Exploration points of interest:
- 18 days and nights at sea in the Gulf of California
- 12 days collaborating with and working on the restored Western Flyer, the vessel that John Steinbeck and marine biologist Ed Ricketts took to the same area in 1940
- 10 days visiting sites on land in the Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve
While we work with local communities, we spend the majority of our time living and working together. Students should be prepared to work long hours outdoors, participate in daily chores, share nearly all meals together, and have very little time to themselves. This program can be very rewarding and, if you are fully engaged throughout, it is an amazing experience.

2025 Priority Application Deadline 11:59PM January 21, 2025
2025 Regular Application Deadline 11:59PM February 5, 2025
Program Dates 3/29/25 - 6/11/25
Interested in being a TA for this course? Information and Application
2025 TA Priority Application Deadline 11:59pm January 20, 2025
2025 TA Regular Application Deadline 11:59pm January 30, 2025
For Academic Questions Teri Hankes thankes@stanford.edu
General Questions Ethan Leikach ethanml@stanford.edu