Radio Cadena Agramonte emisiora de Camagüey
By Yadira Nunez Figueredo/ACN
The sea offers us attractive ways to admire its biodiversity, and while for some the sound of the waves is music to the ears and spiritual relaxation, others prefer to immerse themselves in this fascinating world, even defying the risks posed by being close to bull sharks.
Attracted by this act of heroism, the young Yordanis Méndez Segura began his first dives at the age of 16, until he reached the category of instructor in 2015, to practice a profession he dreamed of since he was little.
I have always lived on Santa Lucía beach, in the municipality of Nuevitas, to the north of Camagüey, and I remember that I accompanied my mother during the weekends to her work, I listened to the stories of those who already had experience in this work, and little little by little I was creating that special connection with the marine environment, he says.
Currently his work is carried out in Jardines de la Reina, an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea located to the south of the provinces of Camagüey and Ciego de Ávila, where his main mission is to teach and guide new divers who enter this wonderful underwater world, without neglect your safety underwater.
Jardines de la Reina is extraordinary and unique, as it is the largest marine park and protected area in Cuba, where you can enjoy a wide variety of species that are generally not abundant in the rest of the country, said Méndez Segura.
Most of the clients who visit the area belong to voluntary groups and educational programs for the management and protection of the oceans, and in exchange with us they receive lectures about the history of the park and its sustainability for the enjoyment and development of fishing fly (with fly) and diving in a regulated manner and without overexploitation of the immersion points, he added.
Interesting experiences, he said, have marked his professional performance, since he has had the privilege of doing exclusive activities such as feeding bull sharks by hand, diving with very important people, including renowned scientists and prestigious photographers from various nations.
Regarding photography, this passionate about the sea and its charms also takes advantage of his visits to the depths to capture with his lens the singularities of marine life and thus show society postcards that are fascinating due to their color and the beauty of different species.
The quality of his snapshots, exhibited in three competitive events, has been distinguished by each of the juries, although the Grand Prix and the first place in the ranking in Cuba, obtained in the Photo Sub Online contest in the year stand out in a special way. 2021, in which 10 countries and 50 participants participated.
"I consider that this profession is quite demanding, you have to maintain a healthy physical and mental state because we are subjected to very strong pressures, where the human body undergoes great transformations, in addition to the concentration that is needed, because in some way we always put ourselves at risk our lives and those of the people who accompany us”.
However, the sacrifice also takes on a greater dimension when the days away from the family multiply into weeks and, on occasions, communication is not possible to exchange affection with those who always await their return with concern.
Family is, without a doubt, the one that drives me to devote myself without limits to my work, and somehow I feel the need to transmit what I do to them, and that is why I have motivated my daughters, Brenda and Gema, to actively participate in the voluntary community work that we carry out in our town, from the collection of non-biodegradable waste on the beaches, as well as sports activities, educational talks and demonstrative exercises with the diving teams, he stated.
My girls have a great passion for the sea, they like to snorkel and have seen the sunken ship found in the entrance channel to Nuevitas Bay, an experience that, she said, they enjoy a lot when seeing the great diversity of corals and marine species who live in that place.
My wife has also dived with me on several occasions and even Gema, the youngest of my daughters, barely five years old, did a dive that lasted 35 minutes at a depth of one meter, something that was an act of great courage for me because it was near the area where bull sharks live, he stressed.
Diving into the depths of the sea goes beyond that dream that he pursued from a young age to turning it into a profession.
For Yordanis Méndez Segura, being a diving instructor means taking risks every day to discover an underwater world that also deserves the respect and care of all of us who benefit from its biodiversity. (Photos: ACN)
