Tears and sunshine
I’m sitting at the airport waiting to begin the next part of my journey. While I sit here, I can feel the tears well up in my eyes.
The last week has cemented my love for Mexico, and for the reef that hugs its shores. Since I last wrote, we returned to a slightly weathered base, set up home again and started diving.
On Saturday, after setting up home again, we had a fun dive. No science, just you, your bubbles and the sea. It was a glorious day, and as Laura and I waded into the yellow-brown waters of the where mangrove meets sea, I turned to her and asked her: “Do you want to do a naked dive?” And after sharing a couple of giggles, we shook on it.
So, we got to the site, Special K (a personal favourite), jumped in the water, ditched our bathers and dove with Iris and Gina, the two Mexican Interns (GVI covers the cost for two local students to do the project with us, to ensure the knowledge and skills we learn stay in the country). It was the best dive ever. It was so liberating, literally- in two senses. Firstly, not wearing clothes is my new favourite thing, and also because we dove without an instructor. It was up to us to make sure we did a safety stop, didn’t over profile and stayed together.
Special K is a STUNNING site. The reef dips and rises along a profile of 28 to 20 metres. It is littered with coral I know, and fish I don’t. Everywhere you look there is something new to gaze at. As it was our first time unleashed solo we quickly churned through our air, like active little squirrels, which cut our dive short. But alas, it was a beautiful dive- I’m not sure if Gina and Iris would say the same after seeing our ghostly white bums...
On Sunday, our day off, 4 of us made our way to Akumel, a little tourist spot known for sea turtles and a sheltered reef. We had arrived, the sun was on our backs, the sand between our toes with fish and reef everywhere! We snorkeled along side turtles and sting rays (and rude ill informed tourists that stood on the coral- which now induces a gag reflex in me due to my new found love and motherly protection for coral). It was the best day of my life.
On Monday we continued our Point Intercept training, and when we returned from the dive we were told there was a bull shark swimming the length of the beach all morning- shark season had begun. Exciting for some, frightening for me as I swam the distance from boat to base. Due to the fickle nature of tropical storms and hurricanes, the remnants of Rina came back south and stopped us from diving for a day. Tuesday was rained out- which gave me time to finish the science board on base. I redid the information, which now has a huge bias to coral!
Wednesday was our final science dives. Due to the weather we hadn’t completed enough training to do the monitoring, so instead we were given a brief on how to collect Coral Watch data, which is fed into a global database about coral bleaching. In pairs you identify the coral type and then determine the darkest and lightest point by little colour coded chart. In the two coral watch dives I did we collected data on dozens of coral. In doing so I became even more acutely aware of how delicate and precious coral is.
Thursday was D day. I woke to the sun on my face, the night before Laura and I had slept on the beach on a mattress counting shooting starts and reliving the highlights from the last 5 weeks. We lay there as the moon travelled across the sky, and despite only getting 3 hours sleep I had a spring in my step yesterday- two words: FUN DIVE.
My first wave was “The Dream Team”: Princess (aka Jeran, 18 year old kid from Minnesota, who I have lovingly adopted as my little brother, reminding him daily that I love him- which I do, and giving him copious amounts of hugs), Amir (American college student, probably the funniest person on base), Phil (British university graduate at the start of a year of travel and adventure), Joe (smart Australian music lover), and Hannah (British sweet heart with a contagious giggle).
Sarah, a beautiful Welsh staff, took us to her favourite site: PL20, a monitoring site. We jumped into the water, leaving behind our bikinis and boardies and descended. The liberating enchantment enveloped me again as soon as my head went under. The visibility was sparkling clear and the reef rose and fell in troughs and ridges at 18 metres as far as we could see. We swam, all lost in our slight self consciousness and thoughts, cocooned in the warm waters, just the sound of our regulators and the quiet crunch of parrot fish as they fed on the reef.
It was a perfect dive- and I was wearing nothing but a pumpkin hat. We did swim throughs, and there were groupers and huge angel fish everywhere. In one of my more solitary moments, while the others were a little ahead I spotted what I am sure is Solenastrea hyades- an extremely rare coral that has not been seen at any Pez Maya sites. Upon returning to base I consulted with the book, and described it to Martin, who is now determined to find it. I mapped out where I saw it on the reef and since have looked it up online and I’m certain it was hyades.
When learning the different types of coral one thinks of all manner of word games and rhymes to match the long latin names to the underwater gems. For Solenastrea hyades, I remember it because it looks like Hades hand reaching up, and is in the Solenastrea genus- and Sol is the beer of Mexico, and if you drink too much beer Hades will come up and grab you. But, until Martin confirms it I will wait with bated breath. That would make my year.
For my second dive I was reunited with my babes: Laura (beautiful Aussie surfer chick), Robyn (bubbly South African physio) and Hannah. It was Laura’s smurfday and to celebrate we all dove in costume: Laura wore the silly kitchen apron, Hannah was a pirate wench and Robyn a pumpkin, and I dove in my birthday suit. We went to the shallow site within the lagoon called Gardens, and I was going to take photos of coral for the base to use for tests, however, my camera broke and we spent the 45 minutes underwater dodging fire coral and drifting in a mad current.
Once back on land I had a couple of hours to wish my farewells, cry a couple of tears and pack up. Before I knew it I was pulling out of base, tears streaming down my face, waving good bye to my new family of friends. It felt like a blink and I was in Playa del Carmen, faced again with fat tourists and traffic. After a night in a hostel I made my way to Cancun, and now, I’m sitting on a plane heading south to Peru.
It struck me as I was on the bus from Playa to Cancun. It felt like I was being separated from my baby. I have come to absolutely love the reef whole heartedly. Coral is so perfect, important, under appreciated, breathtaking, voiceless, unique and timeless. Except it is running out of time. It is struggling to adapt to the changing water temperature, its struggling to compete with the overpowering algal growth, its struggling to thrive alongside us.
So, as I sat there, I cried for coral. I cried for the generations that may not get to see it, I cried for the bleached coral, and as I cried, each tear held a wish, for the coral, for the reef and for Mexico.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to my time in Mexico. Pez Maya will hold a special place in my heart, and staff and fellow volunteers- know that you all hold a piece of thread in the tapestry that is this journey with GVI. Know I shed a tear for you too.
Hugs, peace and love from the clouds somewhere between Mexico and Peru.
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