Divemaster and Marine Biology Training Programme

Our program aims to combine PADI divemaster training and marine biology theory modules. Our candidates, once certified, can go on to proudly work as SCUBA professionals with a deeper understanding of the marine environment or go on to pursue degrees and careers in Marine Science, feeling capable in contributing to marine conservation efforts worldwide. The program consist of 11 lectures and discussions on varied marine science topics, including an introduction to basic marine ecology, Coral Reefs and Transect Methodology and scientific diving standards, etc. Accompanying fieldwork in world class dive sites enhances the knowledge acquired in the classroom. The training is based in the middle of the Marine Protected Area of Nusa Penida, in Nusa Lembongan a little paradisiacal island 30 minutes boat ride from south Bali. The dive sites we go to have some of the highest diversity of marine life in the world: more than 400 species of reef-building coral and large ocean dwellers like turtles, manta rays, and sharks, not to forget about the iconic sunfish or Mola-Mola, which, depending on the season, can be seen in the region on a regular basis.

Current Projects

1. Collaboration with Coral Cousins and their Coral Castle restoration project.

Candidates will do weekly/bi-weekly visits to the site and digitally scan the structures, transferring the images onto a 3D generating software. The objective here is to track the growth of the fragments over time, the biodiversity, and the overall success of the structure shapes. Each scan/group of weekly scans will produce a 3D map of the structures. Over time - many months to year - we will be able to overlay these 3D maps to create a growth animation of the restoration structures. I encourage you to visit their instagram page @coral.cousins (their website is still under construction).

2. Collaboration with the Nuansa Pulau community of Nusa Penida to support them in their restoration efforts. They have already transplanted over 12,000 coral fragments to sites along the north coast of Penida, using and testing different structures such as the spiders and lines in order to determine which structure is better for the coral growth. They will continue to transplant and restore, and they always need additional hands when they do. This means, some of our candidates will have the opportunity to transplant coral fragments, and probably all our candidates will have the opportunity to help with monitoring and maintenance. The other interesting aspect of the collaboration with the Nuansa Pulau community is that they are very much interested in having people come to educate both the community adults and children in matters of the ocean and environment, which means our candidates will have the opportunity to engage with the community and promote conservation through actively teaching!