Mission Statement

Immersion Adventures is committed to providing educational outdoor adventure opportunities that not only inspire and allow participants to learn more about the local environment and community, but also to contribute to their sustainable development.

After leaving Wyoming to teach humanities and ESL at a private high school and college in Colima city, Colima, Dave Collins founded Immersion Adventures in 2000 to help promote ecotourism, environmental research and conservation in Mexico. He received his M.A. in English and B.A. in anthropology.  He had taught whitewater and sea kayaking extensively and internationally for a decade before, in addition to competing as a professional whitewater kayaker and writing freelance.  Dave continues to write, run Immersion Adventures, and is in the process of setting up a Mexican non-profit—Costa Alegre Conservation Alliance and Land Trust—to work toward conservation on the coast.  He believes, like J.R.R. Tolkien, that, “not all who wander are lost.” 

Paco was born in Mexico City where he lived for 16 years before attending school in Canada.  He received his B.S. and M.S. in marine biology from the State University of Baja California Sur where he completed a thesis on tertiary marine macroinvertabrate fossils from the Cabo San Lucas region.  In addition, he conducted extensive work on coral reef biogeography and worked at the UABCS Natural History Museum as curator of the fossil invertabrate section.  His most recent position was as NOLS Mexico Branch Director.  Paco currently conducts outdoor and scientific conferences and workshops throughout Mexico when he is not working as Lead Guide for Immersion Adventures and Principal Investigator for our Mexican Mangroves and Wildlife program through Earthwatch Institute.  He lives in Colima city, Colima, with his wife and daughter where he also owns an outdoor store called Pata de Perro.

Sigi hails from Mexico City and has spent the last decade living and working in Colima city, Colima.  Primarily, Sigi works as a professional photographer, but in his spare time he can be found birding in Colima and its environs.  He has conducted birding expeditions as well to South Africa, Germany, Japan, and the U.S.  Sigi recently published his first book of photos entitiled Mas allá del volcán, and De este lado del mar.  Sigi guides multi-day birding tours for Immersion Adventures.

John Terenzini started his guiding and environmental education career after not finding satisfaction in more typical employment positions.  He has guided in Virginia, West Virginia, Colorado, and Utah, and has taught environmental education in North Carolina, the Florida Keys, and the Grand Canyon, Arizona, where he was most recently involved in a raptor study for Hawkwatch International.  His interests have led him to Europe, Turkey, and Australia as well.  His passion for learning about new places and for teaching brought him to Immersion Adventures.  He is our new intern for the 2004-2005 season, and, as such, will be helping out with everything.

Dave Collins