Finishing the first part of the DM Internship in Mexico's Marine expedition

As the last few days dwindle down base is strangely coming alive once again except this time with projects that are mandatory in order to leave the base in an ideal conditional for the next phase of volunteers. As an intern I am excited for the next phase of the internship where I will be working at a dive shop working towards my dive master certification. Leaving base has a surreal feeling to it; at first it was somewhere new and strange but as time went by it became our home. I know there will be certain nostalgia when leaving, but living on base has given me experiences I would be unable to achieve elsewhere. For example living and working together with twenty some odd volunteers is stressful but yet rewarding at the same time.

The learning experience at Punta Gruesa has been incredible. I have learned a lot about myself and even more importantly about the mission this particular project has undertake. Learning about a disappearing ecosystem is interesting but trying to preserve it is even more rewarding. I have learned so much information about the interaction between ecosystems found on coastal regions; the relationship between mangroves, lagoons, and eventually the reef all are a complex web of life that must be protected in order to safe many species of fish and coral. I hope through these experiences and knowledge I will be able to spread the word about what is happening in the ocean. It will be sad to say goodbye to so many but simultaneously I’m excited more than anything to get to my placement and begin a new adventure.

Nathan

Finishing the first part of the DM Internship in Mexico's Marine expedition