EZ SNORKEL- MAKING THE RIVIERA MAYA REEF AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE
The Riviera Maya is world renowned for beautiful beaches, incredible SCUBA diving, water sports galore and of course snorkeling! What it is not know for is being easily accessible for those who have limited mobility- UNTIL NOW! Recently, the public access beach in Playa del Carmen built special installations and began to offer specialized equipment for those who have mobility issues, read about the handicapped accessible beach in Playa del Carmen HERE! And even more EXCITING is the new EZ SNORKEL operating in Akumal Bay and in Xpu-Ha Bay in the Riviera Maya, about 20 minutes south of Playa del Carmen.
The EZ SNORKEL is an absolute strike of genius and is perfect for people of all ages with limited mobility. Finally, people who would not dare get into the water can now EASILY maneuver and can even observe the colorful underwater world of the Mexican Caribbean. The design is simple and is still evolving.
The EZ SNORKEL consists of two large floats, a motor, a removable chair and a viewer. Perhaps it doesn't sound like much to you, but to someone who can not get into the crystalline Caribbean sea by themselves, this device is truly liberating.
Meet Vika and Julia. These two beautiful girls were recently adopted from an orphanage in the Ukraine to a wonderful, loving family in the US. At ages 10 and 11 years old they had never been to the ocean let alone been snorkeling during Sea Turtle season!
Vika suffers from Arthrogyposis, a rare congenital disorder that is characterized by multiple joint contractures. She has just recently found the freedom of movement that a wheelchair can provide with her new family in the US.
But nothing can compare to the freedom and easy mobility she felt in the water with the EZ Snorkel!
In no time at all Vika was cruising around in Akumal Bay, Riviera Maya! On her own!
This fantastic group of big-hearted volunteers came together to take the girls on the adventure of a lifetime! They brought the girls snorkeling around the gorgeous reef area of Akumal Bay, where they saw Sea Turtles, Manta Rays, and plenty of colorful fish. See the VIDEO of their day in the water HERE!!
The girls were overwhelmed with joy! They had an absolute blast! Their laughter and smiles were nothing short of heartwarming.
Guillermo Camarena, is working hard to make the EZ Snorkel a permanent addition to the Riviera Maya, opening up a whole new world of possibilities for vacation options for those with mobility issues. Guillermo Camarena is the resident "Turtle Whisperer" at Xpu- Ha Bay not only does he devote all of his sleeping hours and a good part of his waking hours, to helping to educate the people and businesses of Xpu-Ha Bay about Sea Turtle conservation he is hands on rescuing turtles, cleaning out nests, moving turtle nests that are in danger and working with the Mexican government to make the Xpu-Ha turtle conservation project continue to grow to accommodate more volunteers and tourists alike.
The EZ Snorkel project takes a lot of work and dedication. Where Guillermo finds the time to dedicate to applying for the necessary paperwork, making changes to the prototype design, making arrangements for manufacturing, not to mention the money it takes to get a project of this magnitude of the ground, is baffling to say the least.
Guillermo looked at me over his shoulder as we were watching the two sisters play in the water on the EZ Snorkel equipment and said, "They give us so much more than we could ever give them." His passion and dedication to bring this kind of joy to these children and to teach sea turtle conservation, is admirable.
He is truly a visionary. He lives by the simple rule of being the change you would like to see in the world. Guillermo wants to bring EZ Snorkel to everyone that has mobility issues. He also wants to incorporate it with the sea turtle conservation program at Xpu-Ha. The idea is to fashion an on land mobility device that will allow people with limited mobility to come along on the nightly sea turtle walks to assist in their conservation and to be able to snorkel with the sea turtles during the day using the EZ Snorkel equipment.
Contact Guillermo for more information about EZ Snorkel! Find out what you can do to help make this revolutionary new product available to people everywhere!
Doesn't everyone deserve the chance to get into the water!?
To make a donation to EZ Snorkel please use PayPal the account address is guillermo@ezsnorkel.com or contact Guillermo directly to make arrangements to try out the EZ Snorkel for yourself!