I knew the morning would go fast. I still had to pack and the rest of the crew was setting out early on an expedition. They were going to visit and learn about Gaby and Miguel’s restoration program, since at the time Contiki was in collaborations with them. Their program is called Acropora Palmata Restoration Program (National Park Reefs of Xcalak).
Gaby and Miguel are the directors of this program initiated by Oceanus, A.C that began in late 2011. They currently have over 300 new coral colonies planted throughout Xcalak including Elkhorn coral. This is the main species that dominate the reef crest and is one of the most important coral reef builders. The basis for the installment of this project was due to a massive disease suffrage that resulted in major mortality of this species. From the information provided to me by Gaby, I learned that this project is one of the first of its kind in Mexico.
While at breakfast, Gaby and Miguel educated us on the current state of their project. Majority of the communication occurred between Gaby and Celine in Spanish, which made it hard to follow. I did, however, learn quite a bit about the sensitivity of coral and the damage too much rainfall can cause.
They explained to us that last year, one specific region, had so much rainfall that it actually whipped out an entire year’s worth of growth. I knew coral was being damaged but I really didn’t understand to what extent. I am grateful for Gaby and Miguel’s love and passion towards this project and towards our ocean and all their hard work.