News
Carpe Diem Maldives launches Dive with a Purpose Marine Expedition
Carpe Diem Maldives are excited to announce a second marine conservation expedition in collaboration with Coral Reef CPR. From 10-17 September 2017 up to twenty recreational divers can join Chief Scientist Dr Andrew Bruckner and his team of researchers as they conduct a Crown of Thorns Starfish (COTS) removal, quantitative reef surveys, and data analysis while staying on board Carpe Vita liveaboard.
Furthering the research support Carpe Diem Maldives began with Coral Reef CPR last year, Director of Marketing and Operations Agnes Van Linden says, “We are thrilled to be part of this crucial marine environment research programme, conducting hands-on conservation to rescue and protect the reefs in The Maldives. Our guests, our crew and myself thoroughly enjoy working with Dr. Bruckner and his team. His extensive knowledge makes each dive all the more rewarding while at the same time acting on our responsibility to take care of our reefs.”
Coral Reef CPR Chief Scientist Dr Andrew Bruckner
The first collaboration between Carpe Diem Maldives safari cruises and Coral Reef CPR saw a dedicated crown of thorns starfish removal in May 2017, involving seventeen recreational divers from nine countries. Over a one-week period the Carpe Diem safari vessel collected a total of 900 COTS from 15 reefs on North Malé and South Malé Atolls. The team was able to remove all of the starfish seen on twelve of the reefs, while three reefs with larger outbreaks require additional return clean-up efforts to fully eradicate these predatory starfish.
Expressing appreciation for the opportunity in May, Swedish diver Mr Blomfeldt said, “We really enjoyed the trip, it was something different. The workshop in the evening was interesting and it made the diving even more fun when you learn more about the environment and the fishes and it made us see the reefs in another perspective.”
To join September’s second dedicated “Dive with a Purpose” trip with Carpe Diem Maldives and Coral Reef CPR, divers must have an Advanced PADI qualification, excellent buoyancy control and ideally a minimum of 70 dives to assist with COTS removal. Priced at just USD 700 per person for the week, the trip from 10 – 17 September includes:
- 7 nights aboard Carpe Vita vessel
- 3 meals daily, plus between-dive snacks
- Up to 4 dives daily (except for on day of arrival and day before departure) including one or two night dives
- Use of tanks, weights and belts
- Non alcoholic beverages
- Airport transfers on the days of embarkation/disembarkation
- Evening workshops on marine ecology, coral reef importance, marine life and more
- On-board marine biologists
- GST 12%
Divers with an avid marine conservation interest should not miss out on this unique opportunity to work alongside expert marine biologists. In coordination with Coral Reef CPR, an additional contribution of USD 150 p/p will be added to the final bill, payable before or at the end of the trip.
For bookings and further information please click here.
Find out more about Coral Reef CPR here.
In a video shot exclusively for Scubaverse.com, Jeff Goodman reviews the Gemini Switch Box from Lungfish.
For more information, visit www.lungfishdivesystems.com and www.facebook.com/divelungfish
A career in doing something that you love… I have heard so many times that diving is just a hobby and not a career. A career by definition is ‘an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person’s life and with opportunities for progress.’
I started diving at the age of 17. I became a PADI Divemaster and from this point progressed to an Open Water instructor, to Staff Instructor, to Master Instructor, to Course Director. Surely by definition this is a career path? The only difference (in some cases) that would dispute this matter… the controversial subject of pay!
I am 100% not going to say that no dive centres in the world pay. I myself do, and I know others that do, too. It does however seem to have become very much the norm, that the ‘because I enjoy it’ philosophy has eradicated the UK diving career path for years. Divers volunteering their help for little or no reward (again… not everyone before you stop reading). To eventually realising, that they are doing hard work, for not much to gain… even paying to carry on doing courses, and to become an instructor to work for that centre. What is all that about?!
If you are the type of person to be happy with that, that is completely fine, so long as you are happy. I was at one point… and then realised that I had invested a lot of my time and money, and when this realisation hit, started to feel undervalued. The instructor I was ‘working for’, for a free hot chocolate at the end of the day, would sit in the cafe whilst I taught in the 3 degree waters in the middle of winter. Obviously the paying customer had booked his course through this person and not me… I was happy with a hot chocolate and having fun… but aren’t all of the best careers the ones that we do not see as work. They aren’t all volunteer roles.
Those of you looking for a career in diving, don’t be put off. There are places that you can work, and a career in diving can literally take you all across the world. Those saying that there is no money in diving… ignore those guys too. There is. Obviously working for free is never going to get you there, but if you want to do it, then do it. There are plenty of places not only looking to employ scuba instructors, there are other jobs at aquariums, conservation roles, the Navy and many others for you to take a look at.
There are also grants to look at for education, the open water instructor course, or anything else after that is not exactly cheap… but still nonetheless worthwhile.
So, please do not take away the fact of diving being a career. It is. The only thing that I will leave you with (dropping a bombshell), is that if we accept the fact of ‘working for free’ then it will never change and still be hard to make a career in diving… I mean, of course there is limited need when there is still the alternate option for a business to have free labour.
Clare began Duttons Divers at just 19 years old and a short while later became one of the world’s youngest PADI Course Directors. Find out more at www.duttonsdivers.com
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