There is something that draws all people to the sea and especially to the fertile estuaries that nuzzle up to its shores. An estuary serves as both a nursery and a grave for sea creatures. If life evolved from some primordial sea, it may well have been an estuary--a place where ocean and rivers meet and fresh and salty waters mingle in the brackish tide. This article describes annual trips to three islands in the Chesapeake Bay and the long-term impact these trips have had on students. The bay is their local estuary, but this example of an immersive field experience could be duplicated in other ecosystems around the country. (Contains 3 figures and 16 online resources.)