Pta Gruesa Chatty Report 084

Punta

Gruesa

 the
low
down
 
 This
 phase
 started
 out
 with
 many
 special
 moments,
 bringing
 good
 fortune
 from
 the
 start.

 Let
us
enumerate
them:
 1. Our
 very
 own
 Project
 Coordinator
 was
 at
 hand
 to
 do
 the
 airport
 pick‐ups.
 
 He
 had
 returned
 from
 a
 quick
 trip
 and
 was
 there
 to
give
information
to
the
EMs
first
hand,
 and
to
guide
them
on
their
trip
from
Playa
 del
 Carmen
 to
 Mahahual,
 a
 very
 unusual
 occurrence.
 2. This
 was
 the
 last
 group
 of
 EMs
 for
 2008,
 our
 first
 year
 in
 Punta
 Gruesa,
 and
 all
 things
 considered,
 a
 very
 productive
 and
 positive
 one
 indeed.
 And
 this
 last
 group
 was
a
very
 tight
group,
and
 everyone
got
 along
really
well
from
the
get
go.

 3. This
 group
 would
 be
 the
 first
 one
 to
 experience
 the
 sharing
 of
 the
 base
 as
 it
 was
 intended
 to
 be
 since
 the
 beginning:
 sharing
 the
 space
 with
 tour
 groups
 that
 arrive
 on
 the
 cruise
 ships
 into
 Mahahual,
 and
then
book
jeeps
to
drive
through
the
 coastal
road
to
Sian
 Ka’an,
and
land
for
a
 couple
 of
 hours
 in
 Punta
 Gruesa.
 While
 this
 is
 happening,
 the
 GVI
 crew
 would
 be
 hard
 at
 work
 with
 their
 usual
 tasks,
 and
 our
presence
would
be
hardly
noticed.


that
 we
 build
 an
 alternate
 palapa
 where
 GVI
 folk
 could
 hang
 at
 their
 leisure
 during
 the
 tourists’
 invasion,
 so
 a
 couple
 of
 willing
 and
 able
 volunteers
 went
 deep
 into
 the
 jungle
 and
 helped
 to
carry
some
heavy
logs
to
take
back
to
base,
so
 that
 Carlos,
 the
 caretaker,
 could
 build
 a
 cool
 place
 to
 hang
 out,
 under
 the
 guidance
 of
 the
 landlord.
 Superstition
 halted
 construction,
 with
 the
 belief
 that
 wood
 can
 only
 be
 harvested
 under
a
full
moon
or
the
wood
will
rot
and
warp.


 It
 was
 an
 ambitious
 proposition,
 and
 so
 being,
 it
 was
half
finished
in
the
first
3
days.
The
other
half
 will
be
done
in
a
“Mexican
 minute”
 .The
frame
 is
 now
 destined
 for
 hammocks,
 as
 the
 date
 for
 finishing
 the
 palapa
 is
 unknown.
 Weather
 was
 good
throughout
the
first
weeks
to
continue
with
 the
training
dives
and
EMs
 were
cracking
on
 with
 their
fish
and
coral
identification.

 Although
this
phase
was
a
little
late
for
the
turtle
 monitoring
 program
 that
 occurs
 over
 the
 nesting
 season,
 the
 volunteers
 were
 lucky
 to
 be
 involved
 in
the
6th
Annual
Marine
Turtle
Festival
in
Tulum,
 marking
the
end
of
the
season.
 Everyone
 was
really
 excited
as
a
lot
of
 effort
had
 been
 made
 to
 ensure
 its
 success.
 
 Despite
 the
 rain,
 which
 had
 been
 pouring
 heavily
 over
 the
 Yucatán
 that
 week,
 spirits
 remained
 positive
 and
 the
activities
were
highly
entertaining.

 








The
 phase
 began
 with
 the
 usual:
 the
 feelings
 of
 unrest
and
anxiety,
of
insecurity
and
not
knowing
 what
 to
 expect.
 But
 as
 time
 went
 on,
 it
 was
 immediately
 perceived
 that
 this
 phase
 was
 going
 to
 be
 one
 for
 the
 memories.
 In
 preparation
 for
 our
sharing
space
with
the
tours,
it
was
suggested


Beach

 performance,

 Xcacel
 
 
































The
experience
began
with
a
Mayan
ritual
in
Casa
 de
 la
 Cultura
 in
 Tulum,
 followed
 by
 a
 trip
 to
 see
 the
murals
that
the
children
had
painted
in
honor
 of
 the
 turtles.
 
 All
 our
 Expedition
 members

 assisted
 in
 the
 fun
 and
 games
 planned
 for
 the
 event,
 such
 as
 a
 big
 puzzle
 and
 a
 labyrinth
 based
 on
 the
 Turtle
 cycle,
 its
 threats
 and
 the
 efforts
 made
in
trying
to
conserve
the
population.


bought
 a
 fresh
 atmosphere
 to
 Punta
 Gruesa.

 More
 learning
 and
 training
 began,
 and
 more
 mishaps
 and
 funnies
 occurred
 as
 a
 result,
 including
 close
 encounters
 with
 crabs
 and
 rays
 that
were
maybe
a
little
too
close!

However,
they
 all
settled
in
very
quickly
and
added
to
the
already
 efficient
 and
 positive
 team
 that
 was
 making
 the
 phase
such
an
enjoyable
one
for
all
involved.




The
following
morning
everybody
helped
out
with
 a
beach
clean,
collecting
more
than
20
big
bags
of
 rubbish
over
a
stretch
of
beach
3
kilometers
long.

 Of
 this
 rubbish
 nearly
 70%
 of
 it
 can
 be
 recycled,
 but
unfortunately
there
is
no
current
recycle
plan
 in
place
which
is
something
we
hope
to
change.



Shortly
 after
 their
 arrival,
 the
 expected
 tours
 began
 to
 happen.
 
 The
 town
 of
 Mahahual,
 close
 by
 to
 Punta
 Gruesa,
 was
 shaken
 by
 Hurricane
 Dean
 in
 2007,
 leaving
 behind
 a
 shattered
 town.

 The
 rebuilding
 of
 the
 town
 is
 in
 full
 swing,
 and
 cruise
 ships
 have
 started
 to
 return
 creating
 business
and
opportunity
for
the
community.




All
the
 Expedition
 Members
helped
 in
the
 closing
 of
the
event
in
Xcacel,
the
beach
where
the
turtle
 monitoring
 takes
 place.
 
 Luckily
 the
 weather
 cleared
up
and
everything
went
according
to
plan.

 There
 was
 a
 spectacular
 show
 which
 everyone
 thoroughly
enjoyed.


We
then
got
to
witness
the
 release
 of
 hatchling
 turtles
 by
 some
 of
 the
 local
 children
–
definitely
an
unforgettable
moment
for
 us
all.


Jeeps
 arrive
 at
 base,
 sporting
 tourists
 from
 the
 cruises,
 who
 then
 spend
 time
 on
 the
 secluded
 beach
 and
 feast
 on
 a
 Mexican
 lunch
 provided
 by
 our
 co‐habitants.
 
 Sometimes
 there
 are
 leftovers
 from
these
 events,
 which
go
down
very
well
 with
 our
 poor,
 meat
 starved
 volunteers!
 
 (Insert
 sympathy!)
 
 The
 tours
 may
 offer
 the
 opportunity
 for
GVI
to
reach
a
broader
range
of
people
and
to
 offer
 information
 as
 to
 the
 purpose
 of
 our
 being
 there,
 and
 the
 work
 being
 done
 to
 help
 the
 surrounding
environment.
 
 The
 cruise
ships
have
also
fuelled
the
 community
 work,
with
more
need
for
locals
to
learn
English
to
 enable
 them
 to
 communicate
 with
 their
 customers.
 
 Numbers
 in
 the
 TEFL
 classes
 have
 increased
substantially,
allowing
the
volunteers
to
 really
 put
 their
 skills
 to
 the
 test,
 with
 a
 very
 rewarding
outcome.

The
students
are
excited
and
 motivated,
making
lessons
very
satisfying
and
lots
 of
fun
for
everyone.






 The
 phase
 then
 saw
 an
 influx
 of
 new
 blood
 half
 way
 through
 as
 5
 weekers
 joined
 the
 fray.
 
 Nine
 more
volunteers
descended
on
the
base,
bringing
 with
 them
 new
 personalities
 and
 ideas
 that


The
 community
 work
 has
 also
 stretched
 towards
 environmental
cleanups,
the
most
recent
of
which
 was
instigated
by
a
run
of
bad
weather;
therefore,
 a
 day
 was
 spent
 8k
 north
 of
 base
 at
 Pulticub,
 where
 the
 volunteers
 and
 staff
 collected
 the
 rubbish
that
had
accumulated
on
the
beach.

The


sun
 was
 relentless
 and
 the
 rubbish
 plentiful,
 but
 standing
 back
 to
 observe
 the
 difference
 was
 enough
to
make
it
very
worthwhile.
 
 
 



 
 The
activity
was
highly
successful,
collecting
more
 than
30
bags
of
rubbish,
sorted
into
plastics,
glass,
 rope,
 even
 a
 full
 bag
 of
 shoes!
 
 They
 were
 then
 rewarded
for
their
efforts
with
a
picnic
lunch,
and
 some
 cooled
 off
 with
 a
 quick
 dip
 in
 the
 crystal
 waters.
 


We
 have
 been
 fortunate
 enough
 to
 swim
 with
 dolphins,
 an
 experience
 many
 people
 pay
 hundreds
for,
but
still
don’t
get
to
experience
the
 delight
of
interacting
with
these
mammals
in
their
 own
 environment,
 on
 their
 own
 terms.
 
 There
 have
also
been
nurse
shark
encounters,
sting
rays,
 turtles,
 eagle
 rays,
 a
 number
 of
 large
 groupers
 and
 barracuda s,
 and
 last
 but
 not
 least,
 the
 first
 sighting
 of
 a
 seahorse
 to
date.

 On
land,
we
have
seen
snakes,
scorpions,
iguanas
 and
geckos,
hermit
crabs
a
plenty
of
varying
sizes
 (from
 tiny
 to
 absolutely
 enormous!),
 and
 the
 biggest
 spider
 ever
 sighted
 (quite
 possibly…well,
 in
 our
 opinion…!).
 
 There
 was
 also
 a
 sneaky
 peak
 of
an
Ocelot
grabbing
his
dinner
near
the
compost
 area,
which
was
a
very
exciting
prospect.




Another
opportunity
that
has
run
its
second
term,
 is
the
 Pez
 Maya‐Punta
 Gruesa
 exchange.

 A
small
 number
 of
 volunteers
 from
 each
 of
 the
 two
 GVI
 Mexico
bases
switch
places
for
3
days
in
order
to
 experience
how
the
other
half
live.

This
exchange
 has
proved
be
a
thoroughly
enjoyable
experience
 for
 both
 bases,
 and
 has
 helped
 the
 two
 interact
 and
 learn
 more
 about
 each
 other.
 The
 EMs
 are
 able
 to
 compare
 and
 contrast
 how
 the
 bases
 function
 and
 see
 how
 the
 slightly
 different
 surrounding
 environments
 can
 make
 such
 a
 change
to
the
daily
routines.




The
 bird
 life
 leaves
 nothing
 to
 be
 desired
 with
 regular
 visits
 from
 an
 osprey,
 pelicans,
 various
 gulls
 and
 herons,
 waders,
 orioles,
 kingfishers
 and
 laughing
 falcons
 (that’s
 the
 name
 of
 the
 species,
 not
a
falcon
that
has
been
told
a
funny
joke!).





Newsworthy
 points
 aside,
 the
 phase
 was
 an
 exciting
one,
despite
weather
conditions
stopping
 play
 a
 little
 too
 often.
 All
 in
 all,
 the
 group
 remained
 positive
 and
 were
 receptive
 to
 suggestions
 for
 alternative
 activities,
 which
 they
 enjoyed.
 All
 things
 considered,
 it
 was
 another
 successful
 expedition
 at
 Punta
 Gruesa.
 Bring
 on
 the
next
one!...



The
 experiences
 that
 always
 stay
 with
 the
 EMs,
 however,
 are
 the
 amazing
 creatures
 they
 get
 to
 witness
 as
 part
 of
 the
 PG
 team.
 
 This
 phase
 has
 proven
 to
 be
 highly
 eventful
 in
 both
 marine
 and
 terrestrial
sightings.