“Each morning, I walk across a bridge made of nothing but windows on my way to the lab, and I’m greeted by Humpback and Grey Whale flukes splashing the water and fins waving good morning. It’s that perfect.” 

Beginning her days with the sights and sounds of whales, Belmont senior and marine biology and publishing double major Samantha Rodriguez is spending the summer at the deep sea bioluminescence lab at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) in Moss Landing, California. After arriving there 3 weeks ago, Rodriguez said she’s been immersed in a unique environment, with an underwater canyon, that provides easy access to the deep sea. This is what allows her commuting buddies — the whales — to greet her each morning.

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