GVI, Ethical Impact: Marine Conservation Volunteering

After getting into scuba diving as a hobby last year and as an ocean lover, I decided to participate on a volunteer program for marine conservation through GVI. I was there for a month in February, living in a remote location called Pez Maya on the Caribbean side of Mexico.

There were 30 people on base including staff and volunteers from UK, USA, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Russia, Holland, Mexico and Australia. We had no electricity or running water and shower with buckets of water from a well. Creatures at base included iguanas, spiders, scorpions, snakes, bats and crocodiles in the mangroves nearby. Oh, and mosquitos, lots of them!! But the deadliest thing to look out for would probably be falling coconuts - don't laugh, they kill more people than sharks.

The day started at 7am with duties including cooking, cleaning and preparing the boats. Amongst the diving and dive training, there were science lectures; fish and coral monitoring, and beach cleans. In only a 2 month period we collected 522 kilos of rubbish! Quite sad to see how much plastic and other trash is in our oceans and on our beaches. A weekly visit to the small fishing village of Punta Allen where we play games and teach English to kinder, primary and middle-school kids was quite rewarding. They don't have much in this town of 500, so a visit from the GVI Pez Maya volunteers is a highlight for them. A 5.30am wakeup and 2 hour bumpy road trip to the town was worth it.

Back at base, we slept in huts on bunk beds with not-so-comfortable mattresses, but each night we fell asleep under a sky full of stars and to the sound of the waves. Life at Pez Maya was interesting and exciting, and very simple. An escape from the outside world (no Wi-Fi) of limitless contact at our fingertips is a breath of fresh air and a realisation that we take the small things in life for granted, such as a sunrise, a hot shower or conversations and laughter with friends over a game of cards. Being part of a volunteer program was such a great experience. You are there for a purpose with other like-minded, passionate people, having a great time for a great cause – and doing your part in making a difference.

I signed up for three months, get padi cert and volunteer. I've volunteered for other projects, travelled and lived in basic conditions throughout Asia, Egypt etc.
I understand the location is remote, but conditions were way more basic than necessary (especially considering fees I paid). getting information about the project was difficult, I had to ask about power, running water, food, living conditions, access to phone/Internet. none of this was in pre-departure info. .. all I got was 'it's awesome, beautiful beach,'
The 'you must take' list was out of date, I didnt need half the stuff; and there was other stuff that would have been useful/ good to know; especially as one is basically stranded on the island for 1, 2 or 3 months.

It would be better for people to only book one month initially, then have option of extending, I chose to leave, which meant I forfeited a huge amount of money, they refused a refund, offered only a 60% discount on another immediate departure (ok, if most of the money was going to the local fijians, who definitely needed aid, but I'm sure much goes to staff in plushy head office and their travel)
if you're an 18 yr old, never travelled, and don't care about living in squalor, then go. .. Otherwise there are much better options.

flip side, got my padi scuba cert, had some awesome diving on beautiful reefs of fiji...

DAY TO DAY
Most days saw us all getting up at 6:30am to do duties, which included raking the grounds, cooking breakfast, preparing the boats and cleaning the communal areas. After breakfast, we all grouped together for boat push and prepared for the days diving.

People on first wave would kit up, and be briefed on the dive before heading out. Anyone left on base would help out by filling tanks on the compressors, manning the radio, preparing lunch or learning their fish or coral species.

Diving days usually consisted of 4 waves with 12 divers on each one, this meant that everyone on base managed to get 1 dive everyday and two if your hut was not on kitchen duty.

After all the waves had gone out we'd help to push the boats back on to the beach and de-kit the boats.

Dinner would be served around 6:30pm. Due to the low availability of electricity on base there is NO refrigeration so all meals are vegetarian. After dinner we often played cards, watched films or just chilled out in the communal area. There is a strict 3 beer limit on nights preceding a diving day.

Party nights, however, often saw slightly more alcohol consumption... They also meant a later evening meal, cooked by the staff which included meat!

HIGHLIGHTS

I had never dived before I went on this volunteering trip and was a little nervous to begin with. The staff are fantastic teachers and very safety conscious. They are focused and enthusiastic. I earned both my Open Water and Advanced Open Water while on camp and now feel very confident while diving!

The coral reefs are beautiful and their protected status means that they are well populated with many different species of fish and coral. Rare species can often be spotted here.

A personal highlight was seeing a Hammerhead shark during my second ever open water dive!

FOOD
All meals, with the exception of dinner on party nights, is vegetarian. As an avid meat eater I thought this would be a problem, but I honestly didn't miss meat at all. The quality of meals really depends on how keen you are to make it. There is a helpful recipe book to get you started if you are unsure on how to go about it and the other volunteers are very enthusiastic. I felt that the quality of the food was fantastic during my 2 month stay in Mexico.

SAFTEY
On base health and safety is the number one priority, this means that occasionally it can be frustrating if a diving day is called off for what feels like only a little wind or a small amount of swell. However this does mean that EVERY dive is a safe dive. I never in danger while I was diving with GVI.

The general area I visited in Mexico, Quinatana Roo, was very safe. There is a strong police and army presence which is there to make you feel safe.

COST
The cost may seem high at first glance but factoring in the number of dives, the qualifications and the quality of instruction. The diving itself makes it worth while. Let's not forget either that you will be living on a tropical beach in a beautiful country!

PLACES

TULUM
The local town, Tulum, is a vibrant but small urban area. We found that all our needs could be met there. There were a variety of bars and restaurants as well as an internet cafe, the hotels are reasonably priced. We recommend the Hotel Maya and Chilam Balam, both of which are secure, well priced and comfortable.

Playa del Carmen and Cancun both offer a more urban break for those that desire it. You should be aware though that the prices go up for everything in both these places.

PLAYA DEL CARMEN

Hotels/Hostels
Hostel 615 (Located on 6th and 15th)
-Cheap
-Friendly family owned
-Secure

Hotel Colorado
-More Expensive
-Friendly
-Recommended by GVI
-Secure

Nightlife
5th Avenue runs close to the beach, most of the bars, restaurants and clubs are on or near this street. (200-400 pesos for club entry)

CANCUN

-Much more expensive
-Hotels and Hostels in the downtown area (near the bus station) offer more reasonably priced beds, the Hotel district itself is very expensive and even more so at night. (700-900 pesos for entry to clubs)
-The Hotel district can be reached from downtown using the buses for approx 30 peso and the beach is free to use. Cancun beach is by far the best & busiest beach we visited.

FINAL NOTES
Bring a camera, preferably a waterproof one. Invest in a GoPro if you can afford it.

Bring a BOX mosquito net, as these are the only ones that fit the beds.

Learn as much as you can about the topic you are given to study, the more you know the faster you will be able to monitor.

Marine Life in Fiji is a dream turned reality! Who doesn't want to explore the depths of the world. You will SCUBA dive and snorkel in the clear, blue waters of the South Pacific Ocean to collect data that will help establish community managed Marine Protected Areas.

July 2011, I took part in the marine conservation expedition in Mexico, for 5 weeks. This trip was beyond amazing and utterly rewarding, if I could go back and do it all over again I would go tomorrow!

The trip is based around caring for the environment and becoming more aware of environmental issues that are impacting the reef. Being able to scuba dive became a huge focus of the trip as this was the best way to learn about the ecosystem. It didn't matter if you could already dive as you didn't miss out on anything, everyone else just had to catch up with their PADI dive course. The diving was incredible, it didn't take long for everyone to feel confident in the water and we saw some amazing creatures!

As well as learning a great deal about the environment, the coral reef and the fish that inhabit this fragile ecosystem, there was a huge amount of socilising. Each day we would have a plan set out so that everyone knew when they were doing what. We always had time to bond with everyone and I was lucky enough to be working on the base which was situated on the beach. It felt like paradise and it was great being able to mess around in the ocean or laze about on the hammocks with your new friends during your free time. We were never bored that's for sure!

Everything was very organised throughout the 5 weeks, each hut had a job to do each morning such as, being in the kitchen for the day, raking the paths each morning, getting the boats ready and cleaning the communal area. The food was surprisingly good, we couldn't have meat or dairy products as there was no way of keeping it cold but everyone did very well to produce decent meals and people became very creative as the days passed. You never went hungry! If you were, all you had to do was increase the portions.

I feel like I made a difference as when we were on base we were constantly thinking about ways to minimise the amount of damage we cause to the environment. A few examples are, having bucket showers, only turning the generator on at certain times of the day for short periods, weekly beach cleans and no plastic bags allowed on base. Since leaving the base I have been very conscious of the damage I cause to the environment when I am at home. So I believe GVI encouraged me to really make a difference to the world we live in.

The staff on the trip were brilliant! Young, bubbly, energetic and clearly full of passion! I've left with many of them as my friends! Whenever we needed help they were always there to guide us, left whatever they were doing and came to help us straight away.

If I went on the same trip again, I would take much more mosquito repellent with me especially in the summer as we all got attacked by them constantly and it was irritating when you ran out and couldn't get any more til the weekend! I would recommend a head torch and rash vests as I failed to bring either of these with me! But everything you need to bring is on the list!

Anyone can take part in this trip! You dont have to be outrageously physically active, but a passion for the outdoors way of living is important!