Photo Essay - Maritime Museum of San Diego

During my internship immersion, I did most of my work aboard the Berkeley, a steam ferryboat which is the main part of the Maritime Museum of San Diego. Working on a ship made my immersion more interesting because I wasn’t working in a regular internship, bringing coffee to my mentor or just doing small errands, I actually helped with work that benefits the Museum. For example, I helped on setting up exhibits, updating the Museum’s website and cataloging the Library’s picture collection.
Being part of the staff has its benefits. I’m allowed to go to any room where only staff members are allowed to go, including the galley “the kitchen”, storage rooms and exhibitions rooms. I realized that my parents would love to see all of these things and, luckily my mentor Kevin, asked me one day if I wanted my parents to come and check out the museum. I took the offer and decided to give them a tour around the Museum.


Before I started the tour, my parents stayed outside the Museum for a few minutes. Since they have heard of the young Gray Whale trapped in San Diego Bay, they sat at this wooden bench (shown above) and tried to see the whale, which of course they weren’t able because the whale was miles of distance away.
I noticed how crowded it was outside the Museum. I could hear all these different types of languages and accents. “Looks like it comes out every six minutes for air” said a British tourist. So I came to the conclusion that not only locals, but tourists had come to Harbor Drive to try to spot the whale in San Diego Bay. The young Gray Whale had made it to the news. Reporters had been on this sidewalk and explained the facts about what the risks are for the whale. I realized that being a reporter, or working for a news channel, is not a bad option as a career.



Since I had to do finish a small project later that afternoon, I asked my parents which vessels they wanted to see. “Berkeley and the Russian Submarine” said my dad. So I started the tour with the Berkeley.
The Museum’s office, workshop, library and store were aboard the vessel, which makes it the main part of the Museum. The Berkeley, with an architectural significance that is reminiscent of the Victorian Age, is used for special events with room for 800 guests and includes valuable exhibitions from the Museum, as the Photograph Collection of Vessels shown above.
This Photograph Collection is my favorite exhibition of the Museum. With the elegant architecture of the silence room, the outstanding photos of vessels grab the attention from the public. It immediately grabbed mine the first time I put foot in that room. Now, it shows me another field of photography, with a different subject that I can use in projects at school.

After showing my parents the Berkeley, I took them to the B-39 Soviet Submarine. Outside the submarine, there is a type of tunnel. Public and members can practice how to go from room to room inside the submarine by going through the tunnel outside the submarine. My parents stayed there for a few minutes; they wanted to learn how to go through before going inside the submarine.

“The B-39 Soviet Submarine tracked down U.S. battleships during the Cold War” said a man from the public. When I heard that, I started thinking how all the crew from the submarine would rush in through those tunnels to start operating the submarine whenever they would found an enemy. “Man, that would be an exciting job” I said to myself, but then I realized that’s something I who have liked 5 years ago when I was a teenager with an army or marine dream. Now, each time I go to the submarine, I focus more on its architecture, since it has been grabbing my attention lately, due to the different type of architectures I see at my internship site.

When we were heading to the exit of the submarine, my mother told me "I hoped you have learned many things here" She knew I had, but she wanted me to know how internship helps me. Internship has allowed me to discard some career options for college, such as history, and it also has given more interest in other fields, such as architecture and engineering. I discard history and journalism because I haven't found something interesting there-it doesn't grab my attention. On the other hand, I have lain more into engineering because "it's the ability to create using science", as my father had told me once. Observing how these different types of vessels are composed, allows me to combine careers to have a new career option, perhaps an engineering on vessels, ships or aquatic-crafts. Having different career options for college is allowing me to discover which field is the one I enjoy the most throughout high school.