Overview
Mexican Marine Conservation and Scuba Diving Internship - PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PROGRAM IS NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE

This 20 week Internship starts with a 10 week expedition to develop your understanding of marine conservation and to further or establish your scuba diving skills. You will learn how to live and work with a research team in a remote environment and attain base skills essential for your internship for the following 10 weeks. During this phase you will undertake your PADI divemaster course, take further advanced training courses, shadow GVI staff and assist with the running of the expedition. At the end of the 20 week placement qualifying suitable applicants may be offered paid or unpaid work with GVI or with one of our local partners.

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Probably the best thing I have ever done. I absolutely loved it and have learnt and gained so much from the staff at Mahahual.

John Stokes, 2008 volunteer, intern and staff member

Highlights

Developing your personnel management, leadership, marine conservation and scuba diving skills. Living and working on a remote jungle base with incredible wildlife; waking up to the deserted white-sand beach and turquoise Caribbean sea; learning about the reef and how to identify the fish or coral you see; participating in monitoring dives to explore different sites along the coast; being the only people diving in the biosphere reserve surveying the deserted reefs under GVI’s special research permit; chancing upon mega-fauna such as dolphins, sharks and manatees; searching the beach at night for turtles laying eggs; learning some Spanish; joining sea and cenote fun-dives, enjoy cultural visits to Mayan ruins

Skills And Qualifications Received

GVI Boat handling induction, PADI Advanced Open Water, PADI Coral Reef Research Diver Distinctive Specialty, PADI Rescue Diver and PADI Dive Master certifications, First Aid & CPR training (Emergency First Response Certification), Scuba equipment maintenance qualification, DAN O2 delivery course, Coral reef ecology, Turtle ecology and monitoring protocol (seasonal), Intro to TEFL, Health & Safety workshop, Diving compressor training workshop with practical experience , Environmental Education, interpersonal and leadership skills.

See Requirements And Training page for more information

Location

GVI run a number of research bases on the Yucatan Penisula ranging from remote jungle bases in the heart of the Sian Ka’an (Mayan for ‘Where the Sky is Born’) Biosphere Reserve at Boca Paila to the tranquil Mayan village of Mahahual just north of the Belize border. Your internship will see you based at two locations for a well rounded experience. When undertaking the PADI divemaster training interns will be based away from research bases in a shared apartment with a higher standard of living for the three week phase. In between your expedition and internship is a 2 to 4 week break. Interns are welcome to stay at a base camp, where food will be provided, or are free to explore the surrounding areas.


See Life on the course page for more information

Field Conditions

When working at a field research base interns will stay in very basic cabana accommodation, with bunk beds (approximately six people per room) or tents. Conditions are basic and all freshwater comes from a well and is restricted, so interns take bucket showers. When undertaking the PADI divemaster training accommodations are of a higher standard.

See Life on the course page for more information

What's Included

All food and accommodation; airport transfers; PADI Advanced Level diving courses, PADI Rescue Diver and PADI Dive Master certifications, First Aid & CPR training (Emergency First Response Certification),Boating Certification, Scuba equipment maintenance qualification, DAN O2 delivery course, an ‘Introduction to TEFL’ course; all training materials, technical dive equipment and science equipment; 24-hour in-country support and a 24-hour emergency phone line.

See Book Now page for more information