GVI Mexico

At GVI Puerto Morelos, diving comes with a purpose. This is a PADI Dive Center and dive school built around marine conservation, focused on producing divers with a high degree of environmental awareness. Alongside standard PADI scuba diving and PADI First Aid (EFR) training, participants can earn PADI's unique specialty certification: Coral Reef Restoration Diver.

Conservation you can dive into

Divers here are trained in scientific underwater monitoring, then help partners gather data on the health of the local coral reefs and take part in a coral restoration project. Local dive sites include Fish Market, Mini Wall, the C-56 (Juan Escutia) Shipwreck, and Aquarium, with marine life ranging from sharks, whales and turtles to eels, molluscs, corals and more.

Set in Puerto Morelos, a small fishing town between Cancún and Playa del Carmen, the centre works with long-term participants in GVI's volunteer programs. English and Spanish are spoken, and facilities include an onsite classroom, house reef, dive boat, waterfront location, air conditioning and free Wi-Fi. It suits divers who want their time underwater to make a difference.