Mexico Marine Conservation Short Term Internship
Live in the beautiful Yucatan Peninsula, gain valuable career experience and all while contributing to vital marine conservation projects
Our Impact
Location
Volunteer In Puerto Morelos
Program Information
- Overview
- Life on the Internship
- Project Details
- Training
- What's It like?
- Our Ethics
- What's Included?
- Support & Safety
- Country Exploration
- Cultural Immersion
- Dates & Costs
- Parent Info
- Live Base Updates
- Arrivals
Overview
Dive straight into the world of marine conservation with our Internship program situated on the Caribbean coast of Mexico in the Yucatan Peninsula. Our base is located a few meters from the beach. The National Park Reefs of Puerto Morelos is one of the natural protected areas that are included in the recently formed Marine Biosphere Reserve of the Mexican Caribbean. One of the largest Marine Biosphere reserves in the World. The Biosphere Reserve has a diversity of specific marine and coastal ecosystems for that are unique for the mexican part of the Caribbean Sea, from the coral reef, to seagrass meadows, to mangrove forest and the outlets of the largest underground river in the world (cenotes).You will live and work in this tropical paradise with the GVI research team. Participants will undergo an extensive training programme, designed to test and improve your diving skills and take your knowledge of the marine eco-system to another level. The theory will be met with practical application, as you and your team work to compile crucial research on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second largest barrier reef in the world, its local fish species, as well as seasonal turtle nesting surveys.
As with all our Internship programmes, there will be a strong focus on developing your professional skills and teaching you how to apply them with a holistic approach to marine conservation. Participants will also receive specific leadership responsibilities, a weekly evaluation from your mentor who will be monitoring your progress, as well as a professional reference on completion of the programme.
After a successful internship, qualifying candidates may be given the opportunity to work for GVI or selected partner organisations in Mexico, or in other countries around the world where GVI operate. Over 50% of GVI staff are recruited from our alumni database. Qualification for positions is at the sole discretion of Global Vision International.
This project works in conjunction with several highly regarded organisations such as the National Fisheries Ministry of Mexico, local Fishing cooperative, Healthy Reefs for healthy people, local and national universities among others. Through such partnerships, volunteers can be sure their efforts are making a serious and measurable impact under the water.
Highlights
Immerse yourself in a tropical paradise, live in a beautiful part of a different country, with the opportunity to experience a new culture, food and way of life; learning about the Mesoamerican coral reef and how to identify the wildlife it supports; participating in monitoring dives that explore different sites along the coast; possibly seeing mega-fauna such as dolphins and sharks; snorkelling in cenotes or waterways; take part in community development and environmental awareness programs; and enjoying fun-dives. You will have the opportunity to work in and outside the water, as well as in the lab, and be part of a national effort to reproduce coral reefs using different techniques.
Scuba Diving Requirements and Additional Courses
You will spend the majority of your time on this expedition gaining and improving Marine conservation and Scuba diving skills, helping our partners carry out their marine conservation work. Non-divers can join for 8- and 12-week durations, GVI will supply you with all the training you need to be certified up to PADI Advanced Diver. The 4-week duration is only open for divers already qualified to PADI Open Water Diver or equivalent. For non-divers wishing to attend for 4-weeks, we can recommend local dive centers that will help you qualify before your intended start date.
Also, if you wish to add to your scuba diving skillset, why not take an extra course at a discounted rate or through a nearby dive centre during your free time. Check out available Add-ons under the Book Now button on the right-hand side, or mention to your Country Expert if interested in finding out more.
Program Details
Life on the Internship
Situated in the stunning Puerto Morelos, the oldest porteño community in the Mexican Caribbean, this site allows for some fantastic diving! Working days can be long and tiring but extremely rewarding. The main focus of this programme is to help our in country partners on their ongoing marine conservation projects, specifically the monitoring of the Meso American Barrier Reef system and coral restauration. The monitoring will be done either in Puerto Morelos or other parts of the Riviera Maya depending on the needs and monitoring schedules of our partners. Volunteers will be doing in situ monitoring of the health and current state of the coral and fish species that are an integral part of this ecosystem.Besides the reef monitoring, all our partners work in one way or another in coral restorations projects. So volunteers might get a chance to have hands on training participating in an ongoing Coral Reef Restoration project that may include: coral cloning through fragmentation, at sea coral nurseries setup, monitoring and evaluation. The amount of times that volunteers will get some on hand training work on the coral restoration project varies and depends on the needs of our partners, the ongoing project and weather conditions.
A typical day may involve diving, lab work, training on base, community days, and beach cleanups. Days are rounded off with evening debriefs, followed by dinner and time to relax, taking in a beautiful sunset and sharing stories with your fellow team members.
Project Details
Our work on this Internship aims to assess the health of the Mesoamerican barrier reef system. The work will be focused around data collection for fish and coral species. The goal for this programme is to increase local and global awareness of marine issues and to be able to provide data that will play a key role in policy-making decisions regarding the future of this marine eco-system.The GVI Leadership course has a main focus of developing the participant’s teamwork and leadership skills. Interns will be completing weekly written assignments as well as oral and field discussions. The course will involve the participants watching presentations to learn theory or working on their assignments during the evenings or afternoons after having completed their field work. A mentor will be assigned to the intern and there will be weekly one-on-one meetings to provide feedback and weekly assessment on their progress. After successful completion of the internship and the final evaluation, a certificate and professional reference will be given to the qualifying participants.
GVI is collecting data in the northern section of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, working with our local partners with the aim to:
- Form a comprehensive overview of the ecological health of the reef
- Determine the species and breeding success of sea turtles (seasonal)
- Develop education and awareness programs within the local community
Overall, our monitoring program in Mexico aims to provide a long term record of coral and fish species abundance over time to contribute to the long term survival of the reef.
Puerto Morelos's short, mid, and long-term objectives:
All of our programs have short, mid and long-term objectives that fit with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This enables us to report on our collaborative impact across the world in a streamlined manner, measuring which UN SDGs we are making a substantial contribution to. Furthermore, this will help our local partners and communities measure and visualize their contribution to the UN SDGs.
Upon arrival to base, you will be educated about the history of the UN SDGs. You will learn about the specific goals of your location, the long-, mid- and short-term objectives, and also clarification of how your personal, shorter-term involvement contributes to these goals on a global level.
Our aim is to educate you on local and global issues, so that you continue to act as active global citizens after your program, helping to fulfill our mission of building a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference.
Learn about the long-term objectives you will be contributing to in Puerto Morelos:
- Form a comprehensive overview of the ecological health of the reef
- Participate in the coral restoration efforts with our in country partner
- Create a general overview of the populations of fish species in the National Park Reefs of Puerto Morelos
- Develop education and awareness programmes within the local community
- Minimise the environmental impact that visitors and other people have within the national park
- Increase in-country capacity within our partners and community members in the area.
How This Project Makes a Difference
Over time and with the contributions of a small number of volunteers, our partners have been able to amass a large database on the condition, health and changes of this section of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, as well as successfully produce a vast amount of coral fragments for reef reproduction.
Training
A GVI program is an investment in your career. No matter which you choose, you will be working toward improving your employability by mastering new social skills, gaining further technical expertise and earning qualifications in many cases. Most of our staff are, in fact, GVI Alumni, and we have helped many of our Alumni discover, move toward, and earn their own personal dream jobs. Each program includes introductory workshops, ongoing presentations, as well as on-the-ground professional support provided by our very own trained staff members. In addition, our training programs are critical for helping us to ensure the long-term impact of our sustainable development projects around the world.
What's It like?
If you’d like to find out what the experience of joining a GVI project is really like, simply contact us and we’ll put you in touch with one of our many Alumni.
We’ll try to match you to an Alum based on your location, nationality, age, stage of academic career, gender, and program interests. This allows you to gain insights into the experience that is most relevant to you.
Depending on your location you might be able to speak to an Alum over the phone or online, or meet up with them face-to-face at a coffee shop nearby. We also run a series of small events around the world where you can speak to GVI Alumni, Ambassadors and staff members.
Our Ethics
Below is a list of core ethics and best practices we believe are essential to the operation of high quality, ethical volunteer and sustainable development programs. We believe that all responsible volunteer and sustainable development operations should focus upon these principles. If you are considering volunteering, these are some of the key considerations you should question, to ensure that your time and money contributes towards positive change.
Our 10 Ethical Commitments
Locally Driven, Collaborative Projects
We aim to design all our projects in collaboration with local organizations and communities and ensure that they are locally driven.
Clear Objectives & Sustainable Outcomes
We aim to clearly define short-, mid-, and long-term objectives with sustainable outcomes for all our projects.
Impact Reporting
We aim to track, record, and publish the impact of each of our projects.
Working Against Dependency
We aim to build in-country capacity by assisting local organizations in becoming self-sustaining.
Responsible Exit Strategies
For each local organization we work with, we aim to have a plan in place for withdrawing support responsibly.
Clear Roles & Specialized Training
We aim to ensure that ever participant is assigned a clear role and that they are fully trained and supported to carry out their work by specialized staff.
Respect for all
In all our actions we aim to respect the skills and efforts of all and seek to protect the rights, culture and dignity of everyone who engages with GVI.
Local Ownership
We work to ensure that credit for the results of any project, along with any data collected, research conduct, or Intellectual Property developed, remains the property of local organizations.
Transitioning from the Orphanage Model
We do not condone and aim to withdraw support of orphanages and residential care centers.
Child and Vulnerable adult policies
We will live by our Child Protection and Vulnerable Adult policies.
Continual Development
As an organization, GVI is committed to striving toward best practice, and to educating both our potential participants, our partners, and the world at large about them. Both the volunteering and sustainable development sectors are increasingly, and rightly, under scrutiny. Many recent local and global articles highlight poor practices and questionable ethics. GVI is widely recognized for striving to apply global best practice in the volunteering, education and sustainable development sectors throughout our operations by reputable organizations such as ChildSafe.
However, global best practice is always evolving and we dedicate both time and resources to engage with internationally respected experts and learn from the latest research to ensure our programs both fulfil their potential to create maximum positive impact, and minimise their potential to create unintentional negative impact. Along with and as part of the sustainable development and volunteering community, we are constantly learning and applying this learning to practice. We do not always get everything right, but we seek feedback from our community members, partners, participants and our staff, and react accordingly. We know are already doing a great job, and feedback we have received confirms this, but we aim to do even better and are continuously refining our operations to improve upon our already excellent reputation.
What's Included
- 24-hour emergency phone
- 24-hour in-country support
- Access to Alumni Services and Discounts
- Airport pick-up (unless otherwise stated)
- All necessary project equipment and materials
- All necessary project training by experienced staff
- Certification and summary of training and experience received
- Community work workshop
- Confidential professional reference
- Coral reef ecology
- Final evaluation
- First Aid & CPR training
- Introduction to teaching techniques
- Location orientation
- Long term experienced staff
- Meals while on project (except on work placements for long term internships)
- Real hands on experience and learn about the challenges of marine conservation has in this region
- Safe and basic accommodations (usually shared)
- Teamwork and leadership experience
- Transfer to base location
- Use of O2 equipment workshop
- Weekly evaluation with your mentor
- Welcome meeting
What's Not Included
- Additional drinks and gratuities
- Extra local excursions
- Flights
- International and domestic airport taxes
- Medical and travel insurance
- Personal dive kit, e.g. mask, fins, wetsuit, timer, DSMB and reel, slate, etc.
- Personal items and toiletries
- Police or background check
- Some equipment is not included
- Visa costs (where necessary)
Support & Safety
We won’t sugarcoat it — Traveling abroad is usually a complex process that carries an element of risk. But this is exactly why we’re passionate about providing extensive support throughout the process as well as the highest safety standards during the in-country phase. We believe that volunteering abroad should not only be impactful, but an enjoyable experience that carries as little risk as possible. This is exactly how we’ve been able to maintain our reputation as the most highly respected volunteering organisations in the sector over the past two decades.
Support
Once a participant books, they will be assigned a personal support coordinator who will oversee their pre-departure journey. The support coordinator helps to bridge the gap between program enrolment and arrival at one of our field bases. Your personal support coordinator will ensure that you are provided with all the necessary information required to apply for visas, background checks, and any other documentation.
Safety
Upon arrival at the airport participants will be greeted by a GVI staff member. All GVI staff are our own and all our programs around the world are run by our staff. All GVI field staff are background checked, Emergency First Response and safety trained. The minimum staff to participant ratio on GVI’s programs is one to six, although on several bases we have a ratio of one to three. When finishing the experience, participants will provide feedback on all aspects of their program.
Health & Safety Case Studies
HOW GVI UPHOLDS HEALTH AND SAFETY
It takes courage to book a GVI program, get on a flight, and head off to somewhere new. Volunteering offers a level of cultural immersion that typical backpacking or holidays just can’t achieve. This is why thousands of people around the world participate in paid GVI programs.
GVI’S COMMITMENT TO SAFETY AND SECURITY
As the saying goes: ‘Expect the best, plan for the worst’. Cliched or not, we take it to heart. This tenet is at the core of how GVI operates when it comes to promoting the health and safety of our participants, staff, and local community members at all of our 20+ bases around the world.
HOW GVI REMAINS PREPARED FOR NATURAL DISASTERS
The weather isn’t just a topic for polite small-talk here at GVI. We have emergency action plans in place for all scenarios. So when the weather, or other natural forces, takes a nasty turn, we are prepared to respond to stormy situations.
HOW GVI MANAGES PARTICIPANTS EXPECTATIONS
Once GVI has matched a participant to a program that suits their passions and goals, our team aims to set the right expectations for them. In the event that false expectations around a program are created, the GVI team takes immediate action to ensure that the situation rectified.
Country Exploration
Our long term field staff are a great source of advice and are here to help you make the most of your time abroad. Remember to ask about discounts on local activities and side trips through your association with GVI. Our Yucatan field teams have helped us put together the following information on trips and travel options in Mexico!
Optional Side Trips
As a large and vibrant country, Mexico can seem daunting at first, but here are a few ideas to get you going in the Yucatan Peninsula on your weekends off:
In this region you are spoilt for choice in the number of opportunities to explore a stunning underwater world. You could start with a dive or snorkel within the unique cenotes (the underground river systems); dive Cozumel, where the wall dives along the island have been voted as part of the world’s best top ten diving locations; or, for a full weekend, try Isla Holbox, a small island off the north of the peninsula. It’s a beautiful, tranquil place, great for a quiet weekend away. Whale sharks (the world’s largest fish) migrate up near the island from June to September and snorkelling alongside them while they filter feed is a truly breath-taking experience!
Alternatively, if you are looking for a break from the water, make your way to Río Lagartos where flamingos flock and river crocodiles abound; visit Bacalar – known as the lake of seven colours due to the various shades of blue; or visit prime breeding areas for the hawksbill, loggerhead, leatherback, and green turtle (May to October).
Immerse yourself in the surviving Mayan culture of the area and visit remote and untouched Mayan archaeological sites, such as the famous and easily accessible sites of Tulum and Coba, or visit the beautiful and majestic Mayan ruins of Palenque in the Chiapas region. And finally, the colonial city of Mérida is the peninsula’s cultural capital and the local artisans of Izamal will be sure to offer you some souvenirs of your trip.
Further Travel Opportunities
If you want to travel throughout the rest of Mexico either before or after your time with us, there is more than your fair share of interesting places that are well worth a visit. Take a trip to the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve and experience lowland tropical forests and have an opportunity to try and seek out threatened species; the island of Espíritu Santo offers kayaking with whale sharks (seasonal) and sea lions; if you are keen to try surfing, Puerto Escondido is rated as one of the world’s best surfing spots.
Oaxaca is a beautiful city to visit on the Pacific Coast, a colonial city with some of the nation’s most magnificent architecture, also offering several archaeological sites including the Zapotec ruins, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Further south, San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, is definitely worth a visit. Colourful buildings, historical architecture, and impressive nearby ecological sites with fun activities will easily keep you entertained for days.
Neighbouring countries to the south, Guatemala and Belize offer something different yet again. In Belize, island hop all the way down the coast, stopping to dive the Blue Hole, another world-class dive site. Guatemala can be reached easily by bus and offers everything from the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Antigua, to volcanoes, the beautiful Lake Atitlan, adventure sports such as mountain biking, and the majestic Mayan ruins of Tikal.
If you do decide to spend time travelling through Central America, make sure to allow yourself time to take it all in, because this region will pull you in and not let go!
Cultural Immersion
Engaging intimately with a new context teaches not only global awareness but adaptability and critical thinking, skills highly valued in the modern marketplace. Local and cultural immersion is encouraged on all our programs around the world, and is also one of the most enjoyable aspects of the GVI experience. Luckily, there are many activities you can get involved with in your free time, or before and after your GVI program. On our community programs the focus is on cultural topics, while on marine or wildlife programs the emphasis is more on the environmental element. Use your evenings and weekends to explore diverse and eclectic topics like Theravada Buddhism in Laos or how plastic pollution and climate change affects Indian Ocean coral.
Parent Info
‘If only every student could do this. It changes your life in all the right ways,’ says Chris Heritage, parent of Luke Herritage, one of our teen volunteers who has participated on two GVI programs, one in Costa Rica and another in South Africa.
We are a parent-run organisation that is incredibly serious about health and safety, and increasing the impact, as well as the long-term career benefits of our programs. Our programs help young people develop the skills to select a career path that is personally fulfilling, and live a life aligned to the well-being of our planet and the global community.
Ken and Linda Jeffrey, whose son Sam volunteered with GVI in Thailand, talk about how the experience affected Sam. He also went on to volunteer with GVI again in South Africa. ‘I know it sounds like a cliche but in a sense, he did go away as a boy and he came back as a young man. Both of us could recommend GVI without any hesitation to any other parent thinking about exploring an opportunity for their children to explore the world and to see different parts of it.’
Parent Info Pack
Download the Parent Pack and learn more about:
Our staff: All our projects are run by staff, selected, vetted, trained, and managed by our central office.
Health and safety: Our safety practices include a child and vulnerable adult protection policy and high participant ratios.
Staying in touch: See what’s happening on base, by following a hub’s dedicated Facebook page.
Free parent consultations: We would love to talk to you about exciting opportunities available for your child.
live base updates
Arrivals
When it comes to support, we ensure that each participant is provided with unparalleled, 360 degree support, from your initial contact with the GVI Family, all the way through your program, and even after, as you become part of the GVI Alumni Team.
As part of this promise, we will ensure, whenever possible, that one of our dedicated staff will be available to meet you at the airport. We will arrange with you prior to your departure that, should you arrive in the agreed upon pick up window, a member of our staff will be there to welcome you, easily identifiable in a GVI t-shirt or holding a GVI sign and wearing a friendly smile. This means there will be someone there to greet you as you land, and from there you will be transported to your GVI base to start your adventure and meet the rest of your team.
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Contact Us
Global Vision International
1 Emperor Way, Exeter Business Park
Exeter, Devon, EX1 3QS, UK
Learning Provider Number (LPN): 10002692
Centre Number: 17067