Punta Gruesa Quarterly
S eptember 4th, 2009 marks the
end of 093, a phase that will be
remembered for having a full team of
Expedition Members (EMs), with 26
on base, the best diving weather and
the highest number of former EMs
coming back to do another expedition,
again as EMs or part of the staff. The
summer phases bring many situations
to consider. It is hurricane season and
the frame of mind inside and out of
base is “Will there be one this year?”;
“Will it hit here?” We are happy to
report that this season didn’t even
bring a considerable tropical storm.
For the most part there were windless
days and flat seas, especially on the
day of the second anniversary of
hurricane Dean, but we are getting
ahead of ourselves with the many
stories, so we’ll start again from the
beginning.
==========================
Solar and wind generated power had
come to PG, but had not been
distributed to all points of base. EMs
were able to see this change having
electricity 24/7. Another
improvement this phase was the
building of a staircase leading to the
staff quarters, freeing up a ladder that
was the only option to reach the 2nd
floor for a year and a half. Now that
they’re there, it’s difficult to imagine
how we faired without them. It was in
this light of major changes to base
that EMs arrived at the end of June.
The ranks of this group included 6
interns here for 20 weeks (10 on base,
10 in a dive shop), 1 intern being the
last of a 10 week stay/3 weeks in a
dive shop/7 weeks in our sister base,
Pez Maya, 1 intern finishing her 20
weeks, 2 Mexicans taking turns doing
the National Scholarship Programme
(NSP), the 1st 5 weeks we had a very
experienced scuba instructor
reminiscent of his diving days and the
2nd five weeks we had a repeat
offender who was here back in the
084 phase.
EMs’ nationalities included British,
American, Canadian, Malay,
Mauritian, Danish, Ecuadorian,
Scottish and Austrian. Very
internationally hip!
The induction period, usually 2 weeks,
went as usual. Everyone getting into
the routine with duties in the morning
(cooking in kitchen , boats, cleaning
communal areas and the grounds),
then diving, doing some coral and fish
on land and in the water followed by
computer assessments, completion of
the advanced open water course
(AOW) for some and fun under the
sun for all. By week 3 people had not
only settled in well, but data collection
began with the most proficient EMs.
Baruch Figueroa, the newly named
liaison between our main partners
Amigos de Sian Ka’an (ASK) and GVI
was here for a couple of days to see
how the new training was coming
along. By reducing the number of fish
and coral the species to be learned,
monitoring can start sooner.
who finished 6th grade. Our
programme coordinator was invited
to sit at the special guests table to
handout awards and certificates. EMs
heard straight from the headmaster
how important the work GVI did in
school was much appreciated and how
there was expectation for the next
school year. Just before the ceremony
ended, our community coordinator
took the microphone to advertise the
English classes and the summer
workshop that we organized once
again for the children of Mahahual,
both beginning a week later in our
alternate facility when school is out:
Tequila beach.

Canada day and US’s Independence The
National
flag
escort



day were celebrated on base, although
our first party night was held in town.
All 35 people, EMs and staff, took
Mahahual by storm and showed the
locals that we work hard and play
harder. This was an introduction to all
to the Mahahual community. This
phase, the community work part of
the expedition has been again very
productive. It all began with an
invitation by the headmaster of the
Salute
 to
 the
 flag
 at
 the
 graduation
 ceremony

primary school to attend the 
 






















graduation ceremony for the students
The attendance for the 6 weeks the
programme lasted was, sorry to say,
not as high as expected. Trying to
come up with an explanation for this
is not difficult given the current world
economic crisis, and add to this the
vacation period, plus the reduction in
number of cruise ship that docked in
Mahahual, families fled town to find
better economic opportunities or a
place to hide away for the summer.
Either way, we all had fun with the
kids and adults who did show up for
both of our activities. And if this
wasn’t enough, a 2nd mural was
painted in the primary school. Our
scholar Stephanie Hovey, who was
here as an EM during 081 phase,
painted a mural with a sea theme.
This time, the mangroves were the
topic, giving color and life to the
school walls. It was unveiled the first
day of school in front of all the
students who clapped, cheered and
hugged our talented painter. This
event was a highlight of the phase,
leaving GVI’s mark in the school and
the town for generations to come.
Just starting!
Almost
finished!





In terms of sightings in the sea we had
our usual friends come visit.
Dolphins, spotted eagle rays, turtles
(green, hawksbill and loggerhead) and
sharks (nurse, but still sharks!). We
also spotted the first lionfishes at our
dive sites, and caught one right on our
beaches. These beautiful fishes,
popular in the aquarium trade, are
hazardous not only to humans
because of their poisonous spines that
cover their body, but they are
voracious predators and reproduce
very quickly and this can harm the
habitat where they breed. Since its
introduction to the north Atlantic and
spreading to these Caribbean waters,
there is a genuine concern of throwing
the balance off this threatened yet still
stable habitat. Without a predator to
keep its population in check, the call
is for man to help out (oh, oh, might
make matters worse!). The mission is
to try to catch the ones we see or take
note of where, when and report them,
trying to keep track of its numbers
and then try to control the population
or eradicate it. Keep you posted.

Snorkeling
with
Whale
sharks


























The
beautiful
beast!
 The 5 week mark came very quickly,

and with it, the changeover of EMs

 with 6 going home and 6 arriving. The
Our EMs were always very happy
new EMs were very eager to start
here, but that didn’t prevent them
monitoring. By day one almost all of
from taking off for the day or longer.
them had passed the computer
Hotspots this phase: Tulum (ruins,
assessment and were getting 100%
cenote ruins), Bacalar (its lake and
accuracy identifying species in the
fort), Contoy island to see whale
water. By week 8 they were
sharks, Cozumel for diving, and
monitoring. Wow! Kudos to those go
Xcalak to see tarpons. For this dive we
getters. The weather did help and
had 2 EMs doing their internship with
stayed in our favor. Flat, calm seas
XTC diving, and lead the dives as DMs
and windless days brought plenty of
in training. They made us proud and
diving, and with them, plenty of
the dive was amazing.
mosquitoes, horse flies (a.k.a. bastard
flies) and sand flies, but paradise can’t
be all perfect! Also part of the package
this phase was problem solving..

Our other extra curricular activities

continued. The Friday morning beach
clean, and birding every morning,
except Saturdays when we sleep in
and let the birds spot each other.

In the science front, we are proud of

our accomplishments. At the
Hawksbill
 turtle
 swimming
 around
 our
 divers beginning of the phase GVI Punta

 
 Gruesa was represented by our base
manager in the 5th international
congress of coral reefs, held in
Tuxpan, Veracruz. The scientific
community was informed of our
humble achievements and findings
using the fish data collected in 2008
in a poster session. Our sister base,
Pez Maya, also represented with their
coral data. In terms of monitoring, all
our sites were done by week 8, so we
had the opportunity to explore other
sites, collect data from those sites,
and also help Project AWARE with
their coral watch program using the
coral health chart they have
development and made available to
anyone who would like to get involved
in a rapid assessment of coral reefs
around the globe, as we have gotten
very involved with everything we
possibly can surrounding the oceans.
All good things must come to an end.
Like this phase, like this report. For
the record: people from all walks of
life have come to lead a simple
lifestyle with little impact to the
environment and doing something
worthwhile for the Caribbean sea and
the little community of Mahahual. We
don’t know if change will come soon
to the way things are done here or on
the rest of our planet in terms of
balancing development,
sustainability, fairness and equality to
the local inhabitants. We hope for it,
and we try doing our part. 5 weeks. 10
weeks. 20 weeks at a time. If you
haven’t tried yet, you’re missing out.
Try it. You’ll like it.