In February Emperor Divers launched the Covid Diver Heroes initiative, aiming to recognise 8 people who have stepped up in the pandemic with free liveaboard trips in the Maldives and the Red Sea. They received hundreds of nominations and left it up to a varied panel of loyal staff to sift through the entries. All inspired, many amazed and some brought tears. What is clear is that divers are awesome, and it came as no surprise that within the international underwater community there were so many selfless, empathetic heroes.

The Emperor Divers’ panel have made the final choice for the 8^th liveaboard prize, this time for a trip of a lifetime in The Maldives. Nominated by his cousin, Alex Chan, this is his story:

“There will be no greater reward for this selfless cousin of mine to win a liveaboard trip to the Maldives where he can find solace in SCUBA diving, the holiday activity he enjoys most. I have not seen him physically for more than a year nor did his parents because he has isolated himself for fears of inadvertently bringing the virus home.
I, Alex, nominate KK Tan, 38, a doctor from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for his tireless efforts as a supporting role to the Frontliners during this time of pandemic. By day, he takes up the administrative role to procure quality medical equipment and ensure proper distribution to health facilities throughout the country an uphill task in view of the rising number of cases in my country. By night, he would return to his former hospital to help out with the outpatient cases there.  If not working on weekends, he would visit a couple of old folks home to provide encouragement, free medical consultations as well as deliver medications where able. He tells me always “Since I cannot go diving in the sea, I might as well dive in the sea of COVID19. There are many beautiful things to see here too.”

Alex has been in contact with KK and said: “He was ecstatic! Thank you for selecting my nominee for the final winner for the liveaboard. I’m sure it will be a beautiful light for him at the end of the tunnel.”

As a roundup, here is the full list of winners who will enter the Covid Diver Heroes Hall of Fame:

• Deborah Brabham, UK
• Noam Har-Tzvi, Israel
• Megumi Gotada, Germany
• Phuong Cao, USA
• Ingrid Stubelius, Sweden
• Lily Lancaster, UK
• Susana Garcia, Spain
• KK Tan, Malaysia.

The Emperor Divers Team have even been lucky enough to meet Susana Garcia already, she has just been out on a liveaboard trip in the Red Sea and we were able to give her a trophy as well as spend time with one of our Heroes.

Questions and enquiries to heroes@emperordivers.com

www.emperordivers.com

In this ongoing series, we speak to the people who run dive centres, resorts and liveaboards from around the world about their businesses and the diving they have to offer…

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What is your name?

Hassan Samir

What is the name of your business?

Fuvahmulah Scuba Club

What is your role within the business?

Owner

How long has the business operated for?

We operate 4 dive centres in different locations in Maldives (Cocoon Maldives, Drift Thelu Veligaa,
South Ari Dive). Fuvahmulah scuba club is a new dive center in Fuvahmulah.

How long have you dived for, and what qualification are you?

I am the owner of the dive centre, I am an Advanced Open Water Diver and I started diving in the past
1 year only. But our Dive instructors are all qualified and have more 10 years’ experience in the diving
industry.

What is your favorite type of diving?

My favourite dives are deep dives.

If you could tell people one thing about your business (or maybe more!) to make them want to visit you what would it be?

The Tiger shark diving in Fuvahmulah is the most exciting dive any diver could have. It is 100%
guaranteed to see the tiger sharks from a very close distance. Also, Fuvahmulah Island treasure
sharks, and Oceanic Manta and Hammerheads are spotted often and it makes diving with us special.

What is your favorite dive in your location and why?

My favourite dives are Tiger Shark diving and Oceanic Manta diving.

What types of diving are available in your location?

Night diving; Deep diving; Open water diving; Drift Diving; Rescue diving.

What do you find most rewarding about your current role?

Meeting divers and sharing experiences with them.

What is your favorite underwater creature?

Oceanic Manta

Are there any exciting changes / developments coming up in the near future?

A new dive boat will be here in next 3 months.

As a center what is the biggest problem you face at the moment?

In Fuvahmulah everything is well organized and all the staff are given specific tasks. Each and every
team member does their job very well. We do not have any problem in organizing the dives for our guests. Yes! But the island has 7 Dive centres and each dive centre have specific time schedule for diving with tiger sharks. So we also as a dive centre get limited time to dive with tiger sharks.

Is your center involved in any environmental work?

Not at the moment.

How do you see the SCUBA / Freediving / snorkeling industry overall? What changes would you make?

As a diver I would say we have a passion for underwater and we must keep the underwater clean
and neat always. Not dumping any type of plastic in to the sea even if it a very small thing (example: cigarette butts)

What would you say to our visitors to promote the diving you have to offer?

We are a team of professionals; we will ensure you have a safe and memorable diving holiday in
Fuvahmulah.

Where can our visitors find out more about your business?

You can visit our website by clicking here.