magazine

Behind the
Science,
Ten year teaser

Not just a
Cleaning
tool

Sassy
Spoonbill

The Story
of Empanada,
Part 3

International
Coastal
Cleanup
PADI
Advanced Open Water
Diver Course,
Pez Maya style

The Dive
Academy
The Wonderful
World of BCD Maintenance
Protect the
Reef Song

Pez Maya Magazine

Fourth Quarter 2015
Vol 1 Issue 4
A Pez Maya Publication
Facebook:
GVI Mexico Yucatan
GVI Dive Academy
Twitter:
@gvi_mexico
Instagram:
gvitravel
GVI Mexico App
for iPhone:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/
gvi-mexico/id1014520095?mt=8
Publisher
Andy Ez
Editors
Andy Ezeta
Jodie Savage
Sam Wilson
Contributors
Andy Ez
Sam Wilson
Friso Dekker
Jodie Savage
Sara Rose Cagle
Eugene Beery
Kerry Passingham
Jim Clark
Steffanie Ransom
Naufrago feat Zack
Photography Editor
and Illustrator
Andy Ez

Contents
2 You are the Difference
3 Behind the Science, Ten year teaser
5 Not Just a Cleaning Tool
6 Sassy Spoonbill
7 International Coastal Cleanup
8 Creatures of Pez Maya
9 PADI Advanced Open Water Diver Course, Pez Maya style
11 The Dive Academy
13 The Wonderful World of BCD Maintenance
15 The Story of Empanada, Part 3
17 Protect the reef song
18 The Pez Puzzler
19 Global Vision International App

Photographers
Andy Ez
Luis Miguel Beristain

Cover photo by Andy Ez:

The Punta Allen Dive

The Pez Maya Magazine is published every 3 months by the GVI Mexico - Pez Maya team.
This is and always will be a free publication. Copyright GVI.2015

you are the difference

Global Vision International (GVI) is a multi-award winning social enterprise that runs
high impact volunteer and international education programs.
For more than 15 years GVI has helped thousands of people make a real difference to the
world they live in while also gaining the knowledge and skills necessary to live and work
in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world.
We began more than 15 years ago with a simple mission: To work hand in hand with local
communities, NGOs and government organisations to facilitate real change on the ground
while also giving our participants the opportunity to grow personally and professionally.
Its an undertaking weve been proud to pursue in over 25 countries, through 450 programs
and by the support of over 25,000 participants and we are thankful to all past present and
future volunteers.

Andy Ez

2 Pez Maya Magazine 2016

Behind
the
Ten Year Teaser
Science
By Sam Wilson

So we have reached the end of a great year for MBRS monitoring, and we almost completed all the sites! So very close.
Whats even better is we managed to find time to analyze a lot of our sites from over the past 10 years of monitoring! This
is incredibly useful as we can now start looking at the most important aspects of coral reef conservation, the trends and
correlations between variables. I know, I didnt make that sound very exciting, but wait until you see our sexy graphs.
For this article we will focus on the main groups of the reef: macroalgae, hard coral and the parrot fish family (Scaridae).
First off, lets look at the general trends in our 10 meter sites.
As you can see from Graph 1, we actually have a positive outlook across the 10 meter sites over the decade. Most of our sites, along with many other places
in the Caribbean, suffered losses from the 2004 and
2005 hurricane seasons. These sites have since shown
a steady level of recovery, with an R2 of 0.58 we can
assume a significant trend of recovery. R2 values help
us see relationships between data, any value above 0.5
indicates a positive linear relationship (i.e. when X increases, so does Y). For us, this means that each year
we have recorded more coral colonies than the last, so
the coral colonies are recovering.
Coral Communities researchers, for those that arent
familiar with the coral methodology, record every coral that intersects with the transect line, even if only a
dead section of the colony is in contact.

Graph 1. Comparison of coral cover based on Coral Communities (CC) data across 10 meter sites

Graph 2 shows comparative percentage cover of our

most important sessile groups, that is organisms attached to the substrate that are not capable of moving
position.
You will probably notice straight off that the coral cover doesnt show the same level of improvement. This
could be attributed to the difference in the way things
are recorded within the coral methodology itself. Point
Intercept (the second researcher of the coral methodology) will not account for the dead sections of a coral
colony as still being coral; they will record the sessile
cover as being the algae that is now growing on that
section.
What the graph does show is still very interesting. It
helps to concrete the results seen worldwide that show
what is known as a phase shift. In 2004, coral was the
more abundant of the two sessile groups (coral and algae), but over the course of the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons coral cover took a dramatic decline as it
was physically battered by the hurricanes waves.

Graph 2. Percentage cover of hard corals and macroalgae based on point intercept (PI) data across 10 meter sites

Now due to overfishing of important herbivorous fish, reduction of other herbivorous species such as the long-spined sea
urchin due to disease and an increase in diseases across all coral species, the ability for coral to recover from such extreme
weather events has been significantly reduced.
It appears that for our reef the combination of all these impacts was enough to stop the coral colonies from out-competing
the algal community.
The importance of collecting long term datasets is also shown here, as not only can we see that coral is still the least dominant of the two, but that the proportion of cover fluctuates over time. This is very normal in stable ecosystems; percentage
cover is never exactly the same year to year, as different groups will always compete with each other.
So not only has our reef encountered a phase shift from coral dominant to algal dominant, but the new proportions appear
to be part of a stable ecosystem.
This isnt necessarily a good thing, as the corals should ideally be more dominant. The reduction in over-all coral cover
means the reef is more vulnerable to degradation should another storm hit, or diseases become even more prevalent.
And now for something a little different!
Weve seen how macroalgae has become more dominant, and touched on how overfishing has been an influential factor, but how about seeing this influence for
yourself?
Trick question, you dont get a choice.
On the right in graph 3 and 4, we have once again used
the percentage cover of macroalgae, but this time we
compare it to the abundance of the parrot fish family
(Scaridae). Scaridae are one of the main herbivorous
groups responsible for the control of algae, and we
have found that our data actually reflects this relationship at both our 10 meter and 20 meter sites.

Graph 3. Comparison of parrot fish (Scaridae) abundance and macroalgae % cover for PP10

Lets walk you through it. If you look at spikes in the

blue bars (Abundance of Scaridae), you can see that
significant declines in macroalgae cover could be
correlated with apparent increases in the number of
Scaridae recorded for the surrounding years. As always in science it is worth noting that correlation does
not mean causation. Just because we see changes on a
graph doesnt mean they are related, so we will keep
working to see if they are over the coming months.
So there you have it, a little teaser of analysis from our
ten years of collecting data on the Sian Kaan reef.
Let me just say a big thank you to all the volunteers
who have helped us by providing years of good quality
data for us to analyze. These trends are very important
for the understanding how our reef works, and how
best to focus our conservation efforts to protect it as a
consequence of this information.

Graph 4. Comparison of Scaridae abundance and macroalgae % cover for PL20

4 Pez Maya Magazine 2016

Coral reefs are known for their diversity in fish,

beautifully coloured corals and wide array of exotic creatures. Though one very significant group
is rarely taken notice of. These are the sponges, or
Porifera in scientific terms. Around 10,000 species of marine sponges are thought to exist and
they come in almost every shape and colour imaginable.
Sponges are among the most basic animals known
and have been around for over 600 million years,
hardly evolving in this timespan and thus very
close to their original form. Their tissues are held
together by a skeleton of (in most species) tiny
glass particles, called spicules. They are immobile and lack a nervous and circulatory system as
found in most other animals. They grow asymmetrically and the shape and size of most species
is determined by external factors, such as depth
and current, in order to have the highest efficiency
of water flowing through the body of the sponge.
As seawater flows through channels and pores in
the sponges tissue, nutrients and small particles
are filtered from it and then metabolized for energy and creating biomass. By filtering up to 1,000
liters of seawater per kilogram body weight, they
have occupyied a very specific and ecologically
important part of the ecosystem.
Interestingly, some sponges are actually carnivorous. So far, just over a hundred species have been
found to not feed by filtering seawater, but seem
to use sticky threads or hooked spicules to catch
small animals. Very little is known about the precise techniques these sponges use to catch their
prey but the absence of any water flow systems
in most species indicate that they rely solely on it.
Since most sponges lack physical protection such
as an external skeleton, and are not able to move
5 Pez Maya Magazine 2016

away from any danger, they have come up with

different ways of defending themselves. They
have specialized in chemical warfare, creating
many different kinds of so-called secondary metabolites, which are released in the water column
to fend off any predators or nearby competition.
This is why some sponges are actually venomous
to humans, although there have been few known
cases of divers actually needing medical attention.
Some of these secondary metabolites, instead of
hurting people, have shown to be promising candidates as medicine for various diseases, such as
cancer and viral infections.
Humans have used sponges for centuries as bath
tools because the tissue is made up of collagen,
which is springy and soft. Since most sponges
have a glass skeleton, only a few species can be
used for this purpose. Dolphins use sponges not
for bathing, but to protect their beak when searching for food on the sandy sea floor. This behavior has only been observed in Western Australia,
where mothers teach it to their daughters, suggesting that it is a recent innovation.
We still have much to learn about sponges, and
research into their species diversity, biological
composition and ecological function is ongoing
in many scientific institutions. In the past, science
has focused mainly on corals and fish, therefore
sponges knowledge will be lacking for quite some
time. This lack of knowledge about sponges and
their role on the reef is reflected by the fact that
the Synoptic Monitoring Program we carryied
out on the Meso-American Barrier Reef System
does not include any particular type of sponge
research, except for the ones overgrowing corals.
We are working on some way to including sponges in our research and will hopefully be able to
contribute soon!

Andy Ez

Sassy
Spoonbill
By Sam Wilson

The Roseate Spoonbill, not one of our most

common sightings for a morning bird survey,
but certainly one of our more exciting! Often
we see them only in the distance, flying either
South or North depending on the time of year.
Recently, however, we have been graced with the
presence of a juvenile that we have named Cedric. We dont actually know if this juvenile is a
him or her, but Cedric is the name we are sticking with. Anyway, how about learning a little a
bit about his/her biology? Well youve started
reading now so you might as well.
While juvenile spoonbills carry the characteristic pale pink colour associated with the species,
the feathers of the head, chest and back are actually white. It is only the wings and tail that
display the pink/reddish colour by both adults
and juveniles.
The bill, as we all know, is spoon shaped. That
is, it is slender and flattened along the stem, and
widens at the tip. But it actually isnt always like
that. Juveniles are born with narrow bills that
develop into the spoon shape as they mature.
This shape allows them to forage for their prey
in shallow pools of water far more efficiently.
Havinge a whole bill as wide as the spoon-like
tip would be very impractical, as well as heavy.
But with just the tip being wider and flattened,
it broadens their range while foraging for food.
To feed, the spoonbill wades through shallow
pools, sweeping their head from side to side
as they move, with their bill slightly gaped. As
soon as they sense their prey they snap their bill
closed and pull it out of the water to feed on it.
This prey item could vary between crustaceans,
small fish, amphibians, aquatic invertebrates or
even the occasional plant matter.
Chicks mature into reproductive adults within
3 years, and nest in trees following successful
courting, which may involve the swapping of
nest materials, dancing and clapping of the bills.
Time for some more fun facts!
The name for a group of spoonbills? A bowl!
A bowl of spoonbills. The Rroseate Spoonbill
is actually the only species of the 6 currently
known to express the pink colouration. It is
also the only species of spoonbill found in the
Americas. This difference in location means that
their prey is slightly different, mostly featuring
crustaceans. These shrimp have in turn fed on
algae full of carotenoids responsible for red and
yellow coloration.
Last fun fact, their latin/scientific name. Ajaja
ajaja, spelt the same way Spanish spells laughing!
Very strange.

Photo by Luis Miguel Beristain

6 Pez Maya Magazine 2016

Im versatile, lightweight, flexible, moisture resistant, strong and inexpensive. Im 90% of the oceans trash, Im found on every mile of every
beach and have made my way into every water system. What am I?
Our planet is a blue planet. There are 165 major rivers covering 1% of
the Earth, 117 million lakes covering 4% and 5 oceans cover 71%. Not
one of those are plastic free.
8 million metric tons of plastic make their way into Earths oceans every year. Thats the equivalent to having 5 plastic bags covering every
foot of coastline around the world. By 2025, those 5 plastic bags are
going to turn into 10. That would be 155 million tons of trash in the
ocean every year if we don't change our waste management.
This past October, GVI Pez Maya partnered with Ocean Conservancy,
a nonprofit environmental advocacy group, to participate in the International Coastal Clean Up (ICC) event. Ocean Conservancy created
the International Coastal Clean Up event in 1986. It started off with
just 12 sites off the coast of Texas and has grown to more than 6,000
sites in over 100 countries. With more than 9 million volunteers, there
has been over 145 million pounds (~66 million kgs) of trash picked up
since the ICC was created.
The trucks were packed up with trash bags and buckets, the volunteers
were wedged into the collectivos, and we started our way down the dirt
road to Punta Allen.
Punta Allen is a small fishing village at the end of the Boca Paila Peninsula in the Sian Kaan Biosphere Reserve. Around 470 people live in
the village, a 5 block by 7 block area.
Now don't get me wrong, Punta Allen is an absolutely beautiful village, but just like many small fishing villages around the Caribbean,
the beach is covered with trash. Most of it is thought to be brought in
by Cruise ships and other Caribbean countries with open landfills. The
trash covered beach is not only ugly to look at, but its very dangerous
for the people who live there and the kids who run around. If you found
broken glass in front of your house, you would pick it up, wouldn't
you? Why don't we have the same mindset for our beaches?
When the trucks entered into Punta Allen, everyone finally understood
we were there for a purpose.
It was a sunny, hot day in Mexico. Hats and sunglasses were grabbed
from bags and sunscreen was being passed around. All the bags and
buckets were taken from the trucks and we walked to meet the Punta
Allen volunteers for the beach clean.

7 Pez Maya Magazine 2016

There were around 100 people, a lot more than we anticipated, ages
ranging from 5-65 all eager and ready to get their hands dirty and clean
up their home. Most of them were kids too. A primary school class
and a secondary school class as well. We told them the game plan and
groups were made. Trash goes in the mesh bags, plastic bottles in the
black, bottle caps in the clear, glass in the buckets. The second each
group was made and they had their materials, a competition was created. Which group can pick up the most trash?
They started running everywhere, smiles on their faces and not missing one thing on the sand in front of them. I have never seen anyone
so happy to participate in a beach clean. They were excited to find a
plastic bottle and place it in the bag. Maybe it was because they could
see first hand the effects of cleaning up since this is their home. Or
maybe it was just because they are kids and they made it into a game.
Either way, with the help of everyone, 270kg of trash was picked up
and thrown away or recycled in just one hour!
At the end of the clean, sweat was rolling down faces, cheeks were
rosy, and eyelids were starting to droop. But deep inside of everyone,
you could see the accomplishment. The mass pile of trash in front of
us was the reason why we came to Punta Allen. The appreciation we
received from the locals was thanks enough.
So back in the cars we went, all tired from our long morning in the sun
but so happy that 270kg of trash would never make its way back into
the ocean.

Creatures of
Pez Maya
Thespidae

This
peculiar
creature,
found in the surroundings
of Pez Maya, is a grass
mantis part of the Thespidae family. This particular insect resembles the
twigs of the trees among
which it lives, helping it
to camouflage itself from
its prey.

Andy Ez

PADI Advanced Open

Water Diver Course,
Pez Maya style

By Eugene Beery

For those of you that arent familiar with PADIs Advanced Open Water Diver Course here is a quick breakdown. The
course is the second level of the recreational diver ladder following your Open Water Diver certification. It consists of 5
individual dives that focus on specific fields or aspects of diving as opposed to the Open Water course which focuses on the
basics of diving as a whole. The individual dives pertain to an array of possible fields including deep diving, navigation,
wreck diving, enriched air diving, search and recovery, peak performance buoyancy, night diving , underwater naturalist,
fish ID and many many more. Each of these dives also has a correlating chapter in the PADI Adventures in Diving manual
which acts as an introduction before completing the practical in water skills. To obtain the certification you must complete
5 of the adventure dives, two of which are mandatory, Deep Diver and Underwater Navigation, and three of which are
elective so you can choose what best suits your needs or interests. You complete each chapter in the manual pertaining to
the dives that you have chosen. Upon completion you are then certified to dive as deep as 30m and youll have expanded your
knowledge of the various types of diving.
In Pez Maya we have selected the 5 dives that best suit our volunteers needs and what will help them progress most during
their time with us as a diver and conservationist.
The dives include the following:

Peak Performance Buoyancy

Beneficial to beginner or experienced divers. Test your buoyancy and improve it through a series of underwater skills and games including swimming through hoops without touching them, hovering upside down, maintaining buoyancy while hovering and passing various weights in a circle
from diver to diver, writing a short story while hovering and many other
games. All of this is accomplished without using your hands and focusing
solely on your breathing to control your buoyancy. In addition we work
on different finning techniques and adjustments to determine your perfect
weighting and trim. These skills are key to being a good diver but essential
to monitoring the coral reef as we do here. This is one of the most fun
dives to participate in and teach as well.

Underwater Naturalist
The Underwater Naturalist dive has been chosen because it is excellent
preparation for the main focus of our program which is monitoring the
coral reef and to do this our divers need to be able to identify different
species underwater - which is the focus of this dive. We take you through
different techniques of how to identify different species underwater and
then for the dive we select 5 fish, 5 corals and 2 plants. The students have
to write down the defining features of the species and when back on land
utilize our identification books to find the specific coral, fish or plant that
we had selected. In addition during the knowledge development portion
you learn the key differences between the terrestrial and aquatic worlds
and how to dive and interact with aquatic life responsibly and with the least
impact possible. Not only does this dive prepare you for your science training but it gives you the knowledge needed to be a role model diver for the
protection of the marine environment.

9 Pez Maya Magazine 2016

Underwater Navigator
This is one of the mandatory dives required by PADI and it is so for a
reason. The skills and knowledge in this portion are vital to becoming an
independent and aware diver that knows how to plan a dive pertaining
to conditions and location and follow that plan accordingly. This is very
important on the road to becoming an expert diver. You learn different
techniques for navigating including utilizing natural references and using
a compass. To put your skills to the test we have our students learn how to
estimate distance underwater and using that knowledge navigate a reciprocal heading of approximately 40m and then a 30mx30m square using a
compass and returning to the starting point. To finish the dive we have our
students guide us through a portion of the reef and return to the starting
point using nothing but natural references. During the knowledge development you learn how to navigate in different conditions taking things such
as visibility, currents and topography into consideration. These skills are
important to make the most of your dives, make your air last and minimize
stress which is always a plus.

Search and Recovery Diver

This is one of our more technical dives that we do here on base. This portion focuses on teaching divers the techniques and knowledge needed to
search for small to large objects that have been lost underwater and need
to be recovered. Youll learn about which search patterns to use depending
on the object you are looking for. From expanding square patterns looking
for large objects such as a treasure chest, or using a line and reel to execute
an expanding circular pattern to locate the smallest of items such as a ring.
During the dive we also have our students rig a lift bag to a heavy object
using one of the three knots they learn during the course and then safely
bring the object to the surface while adjusting buoyancy for themselves and
the lifting device. We also discuss various other search patterns, the hazards involved and the dive planning required to do a search and recovery
dive safely. This dive shows a very different aspect to diving from the norm
and really challenges our students by performing complex tasks underwater. It is also excellent preparation for your PADI Rescue Diver Course
when it comes to searching for a missing diver.

Deep Diver
This is one of the most popular and sought after fields of diving and is also
the second mandatory dive of the Advanced Open Water course. Just the
shear fact of going to 30m is amazing in itself but it is not the only point
of this dive. Our students learn about the physiological effects of diving
deeper and how to plan accordingly. They learn how to deal with gas narcosis, managing air supply and what additional equipment may be needed to
execute specific dives. To finish this training we then go to 30m to explore
the deeper reefs here at Pez Maya. We see things like black coral and the occasional nurse shark, and along the way we may even present certain games
to test your motor functions and cognitive skills at depth as opposed to the
surface. We also bring along various objects to show you how the increased
pressure effects different materials and objects. Finally all of our students
are given a colour chart so they can witness colour change at depth and
note which spectrums penetrate deeper. All in all this is definitely a favorite
and also an important skill to have while progressing as a diver.

So as you can see the PADI Advanced Open Water Course is an extremely fun and beneficial experience for any diver. In
general the course is challenging and fun but at Pez Maya its just that much better. As with all of our courses, because our
volunteers stay with us for extended periods of time, we not only introduce and assess these advanced skills but we have the
opportunity to continue to refine your skills and provide feedback until you are a safe, confident and independent diver with
a new arsenal of skills and experience.

10 Pez Maya Magazine 2016

The Dive
Academy
By Kerry Passingham

In October 2014 GVI launched their first ever Dive Academy in

partnership with XTC Dive Center, a PADI 5* IDC Resort, in Mexico. There are multiple Dive Academies around the world offering similar internships but none that combine the dive training
with such a strong focus on marine conservation.
For several years GVI have run internships worldwide that take
volunteers up to the first level of professional dive training of
PADI Divemaster. Since the GVI Dive Academy launch in 2014 GVI
Mexico are now able to offer internships developing volunteers
from Open Water Divers all the way up to PADI Instructors. This
new flagship program is called the MSDT Internship.

11 Pez Maya Magazine 2016

Andy Ez

For those of you who might not be in the know, all

interns spend their first 12 weeks here at the Pez
Maya base on the Yucatan Peninsula progressing
from Open Water Divers to Rescue Divers, gaining
their Emergency First Responder and Advanced
Open Water Certifications along the way. Volunteers are also certified as PADI Coral Reef Research
Divers (CRRD) which they obtain after gaining experience monitoring the health of our coral reef
through the collection of data on fish or coral species. As well as proving their buoyancy and dive
skills in water, they attend lectures and complete
knowledge development sections to be worthy of
the CRRD certification. These lectures consist of
topics like threats to the reef and the interconnectivity of coastal ecosystems.
The volunteers have opportunity to be involved
in all the different research programs at Pez Maya
which include studies on bird biodiversity, marine debris, and invasive Lionfish populations and
eradication. To add to their conservation learning
interns are set environmental based assignments
to increase their understanding of the work that
is done at Pez Maya and scientific research techniques worldwide. In addition to the dive and science training interns are also given presentations
on leadership skills and styles, and given the chance
to work on these skills during leadership days and
challenges.

Interns who gain their PADI Divemaster and Instructor status through GVIs Dive Academy come away
with a lot more than certification cards. They come
away with a strong understanding of life in a marine conservation base, practical coral reef health
research monitoring experience, an increased
knowledge and awareness of local and global conservation issues, as well as an understanding of the
logistics and day to day runnings of a successful
PADI 5* IDC Dive Resort.
If you have already been a volunteer at Pez Maya
you will have experienced most of the elements
explained above first hand but we thought you
might want to have a bit more of an in depth understanding of the internships that happen here
and the added components the interns complete
whilst on base and at XTC. Oh and of course give
you all the juicy details about the new MSDT Internship. If you have already got the marine conservation experience you can jump directly to the
Divemaster or MSDT programs, just contact our
Country Expert in the office and they will give you
all the information you need. But you are always
welcome to come back to Pez Maya and help out
on the monitoring of the coral reefs!

All volunteers experience how to use a compressor

to fill tanks, how to operate the marine radio and
emergency oxygen administration. During the last
few weeks on base interns are provided with their
Divemaster materials and given presentations on
basic dive theory so they are more than ready to
officially start their training when they arrive at XTC
Dive Center.
Now for the NEW stuff!! Those interns moving all
the way up to PADI Open Water SCUBA Instructors (OWSI) will spend their final 18 weeks of the
program at XTC completing their professional level
training. Schedules will vary depending on when
PADI examiners are available for the Instructor Examinations, but the Divemaster component most
often takes 12 weeks to complete, with the final 6
weeks of training being dedicated to the Instructor
Development Course and Instructor Examinations
- before beginning training for the Master SCUBA
Diver Training (MSDT) preparation program! At the
end of the MSDT internship interns are certified
PADI OWSIs with the ability to teach 5 specialty
courses. They are then free to find jobs worldwide
and gain experience teaching to enable their MSDT
status.
During their time at XTC interns will have experience using a modern compressor, customer
services and sales, and equipment maintenance
- alongside all other standard components of the
Divemaster and Instructor courses. A focus on
marine conservation is kept throughout, providing interns with several environmental workshops
covering topics such as Shark Awareness, Project
AWARE, CONANP (Mexicos main environmental
government agency), and experience especially on
the invasive Lionfish eradication.

12 Pez Maya Magazine 2016

The wonderful world

of BCD Maintenance

By Jim Clark

Your Buoyancy Controlling Device or BCD to all of those in the diving world, is an extremely important piece of equipment. Anyone with
their own equipment will know how essential it is to take care of it, and how vital it is to ensure that it is maintained and cleaned properly,
to make them last as long as possible.
The first thing you need to know for looking after your BCD is what to do with it once you have been on a dive:

- Always wash your BCD with fresh water after every dive, inside and out, and make
sure to never use solvents that could damage the equipment. Ensure that this is done
immediately if you have just been diving in chlorinated water as this can break down
rubbers and plastics quite quickly.
- To prevent mold growth and bacteria you can use salt water, this will inhibit the
growth of mold/fungus. However once the water has evaporated you will be left with a
BCD covered in salt, this might seem irrelevant but these crystals can do major damage
to your BCD bladder and can tear or rupture it.
So now the extra bits, this only takes a few minutes and is essential for extending the
life of your BCD, it is how the clean the inside of your BCD. You need to hold down
the deflator button while having a good flow of fresh water up into the mouthpiece,
so that it goes inside the bladder of the BCD. Once it is full, slosh the water around to
make sure every part of the inside gets a good clean, then you can dump out the water
through the inflator hose to clean the last bit. Hold the BCD with the hose at the lowest
point, so all the water drains out. You can repeat this step again, but you should be fine.
- Then you need to inflate the BCD through oral inflate or a tank, a good amount needs
to be in there, and this is to ensure that the internal bladder does not dry stuck together.
As this could cause big problems when you come to use it again, and potentially tear
the bladder.
- Finally leave it to dry in a shaded area, if putting it away for the night, put a bit of air
into the BCD while in storage ready for you to dive again, hopefully the very next day!
So that is your guide to general maintenance of your BCD, now we will look into the problems that can occur with a BCD, how it affects
your dive and how they can be fixed.

13 Pez Maya Magazine 2016

Problem: BCD is self-inflating.

Dive? If you notice it self-inflating before a dive, try to switch it out with another
if available. If you are on a dive and it starts to self-inflate you should end the dive
there, however if you are confident enough with your skills underwater, you can
disconnect the low pressure inflator hose. This will stop the BCD from inflating,
but you will then have less control with your buoyancy as you will not be able to
use the inflator hose.
Fix it? This problem can happen from a few things, the inflator button can be corroded and full of salt, small adjustments done during a dive or pre-dive check can
cause the button to stick and slowly inflate. Also the O-rings in this mechanism
could need lubricating to ensure a smooth movement. This can be fixed by yourself
or taken to a technician.

Problem: BCD not holding air.

Dive? Usually this is noticed before a dive on buddy checks, and is due to shoulder or kidney dump problems . If it is one of these two then it can usually be fixed
before a dive so it is safe to continue into the water. If this happens during a dive,
then you should ascend to the surface, but be aware that you will have difficulties
staying buoyant on the surface, so stay close to your buddy for help.
Fix it? For shoulder and kidney dumps, if they are damaged or have been knocked,
they might not make the seal which holds the air inside. For both of these you can
actually unscrew the dump, inspect the rubber seal has no cracks or foreign objects
around it, and then put them back on, ensuring that the threads are matching up , as
this is one of the most common reason for leaks at these sites. If the leaks continues
to happen take the BCD to a professional to have a good look at it.

Problem: Small leaks on the body of the BCD.

Dive? Small leaks can be very common, small bubbles, no troubles does get
thrown round quite a bit. Before or during a dive, they should not be a big enough
problem for you to not enjoy the underwater world, so get in the water , but keep an
eye on it, or have your buddy watch it!
Fix it? Small bubbles, no troubles however a lot of them from different places on
the BCD can start to be a bit worrisome, these are small holes in the bladder of your
BCD which is leaking out. A damaged bladder, should ideally be fixed by a professional or you buy a new BCD a very easy thing to say but, not always practical.
If it is just a small hole there is the option of using a commercial seal: aquatic seals,
aqua glue, lots of different names; but all do the same thing, patch a little hole to
extend the life of your BCD.
These are the main problems that can occur with a BCD. Proper care of them and annual services will ensure that they will last a bit
longer, because lets be honest these pieces of equipment are pretty expensive, so the less we spend the better right? Keep enjoying the
dives out there. You now have a bit more knowledge to continue in the fantastic world of diving!

14 Pez Maya Magazine 2016

The Story of
Empanada

Third part
By Steffanie Ransom

As he started to swim,
the waves felt much rougher,
the current was strong,
to get further was tougher.
Living in the Mangroves,
the water was calm,
and even in a storm,
there was no need for alarm.
The trees and the plants
would protect any fish,
it was the easiest of lives
if that was ones wish.
But Empanada was not now
the pup he once was,
he felt strength surging through him,
and he knew it because

But what good was that,

when each fish that swam by
looked moist and delicious,
he just couldnt lie.

Calm down my friend,

my teeth wont deploy;
I just couldnt bear it
if this reef I destroy.

And just as he thought

the temptation too much,
a turtle swam by him,
muttering angrily and such.

Now Myrtle blinked

(she actually could)
But you cant be serious,
you totally should!

Once he was through

the worst of the surge,
he adapted to salt water,
the fresh he could purge.

Hes a scourge to the reef,

if I did it Id fail,
but its for the good of the
Ow!
And swam into his tail.

Not me, of course,

now that were friends,
But this reef needs sharks,
on them it depends!

He looked all around him,

he felt he had grown,
both in body and in mind,
his voice lower in tone.

The turtle reversed

and gaped, wide of eye,
the size of Empanada
made her fear she would die.

But what do you mean?

Look at all this!
If I gave into my hunger,
its not just fish you would
miss;

And something else he noticed,

as he closed in on the reef,
his stomach was growling,
he had so many teeth!

No please dont eat me,

I have more yet to give!
My names Furtile Myrtle,
the guys need me to live!

Id eat turtles and rays,

Id take over the town,
If this reef had a king,
Id take the crown!

He felt so ashamed
and scared of his hunger,
the reef was so beautiful,
hed never want to plunder!

Empanada blinked
(or he would if he could),
He wouldnt eat Myrtle,
he explained he was good.

Well thats presumptuous,

Said Myrtle, quite right.
Theres plenty other sharks
with a much bigger bite.

his curiosity was piqued

by the lessons hed learned,
and there was now nothing for him
if, to the Mangroves, he returned.
Pulsing through tides,
timing them in and then out,
his fins became giant
and his head lost all doubt.

15 Pez Maya Magazine 2016

But do you see the abundance

and diversity of life?
Without corals and fish,
thered be nothing but strife.

You see, hes too old,

and a danger to us,
Hes perfectly ready,
hell go without fuss.

Empanada agreed,
but did not understand,
why this turtle would say
that the reef would withstand

Wait just one second,

let me get this straight,
youre leading me to a friend
so hell meet his fate?!

if he and all sharks

ate everything,
from the head to the tail,
each fin and each wing.

Lets not throw around friend

so fast and so loose,
this is the circle of life,
not a swim to the noose.
Even though that metaphor
didnt quite hit its mark,
the Turtle had a point,
after all, hes a shark.

You dont feast all day,

but you do do your part,
to make sure theres balance
to this reefs central heart.
Empanada nodded,
slow to be sure,
So if we didnt eat fish,
thered be too many more?
Exactly! Thats it!
Furtile Myrtle did shout.
Coral reefs need balance,
thats what its about.
The coral need plankton,
and the fish eat the coral,
and you guys eat fish,
its nothing but moral.
Empanada smiled,
licking his lips,
And theres further good news,
if youre looking for tips.
The cool thing about sharks,
a fact rarely told,
is that you euthanize
the sick, the weak and the old.
You keep
and hey
Theres a
Hes over

From the small and safe Mangrove

all the way out to sea,
Empanada became
the conscientious shark he would be.
He knew every purpose
for of each part of the reef,
he knew of the seagrass,
and of the Mangrove relief.
And as he chomped on that turtle
and others watched on with glee,
he caught the eye of a female,
as yellow as he.
With an urge that was new,
and a satisfaction for life,
he felt the strong inclination
to take a wife.
So with the best line he had,
he swam up to she,
So I know this little Mangrove
And the rest was history.

our gene pools strong,

on that note!
turtle you should meet,
there by the boat.

16 Pez Maya Magazine 2016

By Naufrago feat Zack

Come gather round people
Wherever you roam
ing along to ob ylan s
And admit that pollution
he imes hey re
hangin
Around you has grown
And accept it that soon
Youll be poisoned to the bone
If the reef to you is worth savin
Then you better start preserving or youll be diving alone
For the reefs they are a-changin

S
T T

B D `
T A AC

Come divers and trawlers

Who profit from the sea
And hold back your nets
Youre causing a disease
And dont fish too soon
This path do not choose
For theres not telling how it is ending
The winner now, will be later to lose
For the reefs they are a- changin
Come presidents,ministers
Please heed the call
Dont stand in the hallway
For he who turns blind
Will be he who has sinner
Theres an ocean outside raging
Soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the reefs they are a-changin
Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And dont leave behind
Plastic choked sand
Your sons and your daughters
Must understand
The ocean is rapidly fadin
Please recycle and use eco brands
For the reefs they are a changin
Our limits are known
The science is clear
Carbon dioxide
Should make us all fear
An ocean of acid
Is fast coming here
The order is rapidly fading
For the chemical imbalance
Is abundantly clear
For the reefs they are a changin

17 Pez Maya Magazine 2016

The
Pez
Puzzler
The rules of the game are simple:
each of the nine blocks has to
contain all the numbers 1 to 9
within its squares. Each number
can only appear once in a row,
column or box.

18 Pez Maya Magazine 2016

Global Vision International

App for our Volunteers
in Mexico.
With this app you'll be able to:
Learn about GVI Mexico's main objectives.
Follow our Facebook Feed and give us a Like.
Have a better point of view of La Pennsula de Yucatn Region with the interactive map and find all our projects,
initiatives and locations of interest.
Read interesting articles about the region and about our projects with videos and galleries in our Digital Library
made just for you.
ANY PROBLEMS? SUGGESTIONS?
We'd love to hear from you. Please contact us: appmexico@gviworld.com
Hope everyone enjoys our app made with love for our volunteers.
-GVI Team, Mxico.

19 Pez Maya Magazine 2016