Overview
Gain a BTEC in Biological Survey Techniques in the Caribbean Sea

GVI offers the opportunity to complete a Level 3 BTEC Advanced Certificate to any ten week participants. Based In the turquoise Caribbean waters of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, volunteers take part in important marine conservation work on the world’s second largest barrier reef by helping with coral reef and fish monitoring, turtle nesting and conducting crocodile surveys. On land you will help community education and sustainable tourism development programs

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This is a great course, so useful in giving me the confidence and skills I needed to to work in the field.

James Ballard, GVI Volunteer

Highlights

Gain a BTEC qualification that could open up doors of opportunity into a new career. Live and work on a remote jungle base with incredible wildlife; waking up to the deserted white-sand beach and turquoise Caribbean sea; learn about the reef and how to identify the fish or coral you see; participate in monitoring dives to explore different sites along the coast; be the only people diving in the biosphere reserve surveying the deserted reefs under GVI’s special research permit; chance upon mega-fauna such as dolphins, sharks and manatees; search the beach at night for turtles laying eggs; learn some Spanish; join sea and cenote fun-dives and enjoy cultural visits to Mayan ruins.

Location

Located on the eastern coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, the expedition base is situated in the Sian Ka’an (Mayan for ‘Where the Sky is Born’) Biosphere Reserve. The nearby Calakmul Biosphere reserve, the Mayan ruins of Tulum, Coba and Chichen Itza can also be visited in the area. To reach the remote GVI marine base you travel on a dirt track through dense jungle into the biosphere reserve, meandering along this beautiful peninsula past Caribbean beaches until you reach your very own.

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Field Conditions

This base is set in the jungle on a narrow peninsula, with the open Caribbean Sea and coral reef on one side and a sheltered lagoon on the other. It supplies very basic cabana accommodation, with bunk beds (approximately six volunteers per room) or tents. Conditions are basic and all freshwater comes from a well and is restricted, so volunteers take bucket showers. The base has views of the ocean, a main socialising area and an abundance of hammocks.

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What's Included

• All food and accommodation
• Airport transfers
• BTEC in Biological Survey Techniques
• PADI Open Water and Advanced Level diving courses
• PADI Coral Reef Researcher specialty and heavily discounted further dive training options up to PADI Divemaster (Non divers can only complete these during the ten week option)
• An ‘Introduction to TEFL’ course
• All training materials
• Technical dive equipment and science equipment
• Emergency First Aid course
• 24-hour in-country support and a 24-hour emergency phone line

See Book Now page for more information