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Submitted by Emirates Diving Association
Emirates Diving Association (EDA) has certified the first three of their seven Reef Check EcoDiver candidates this year on March 3rd. Congratulations to both Tony Sidgwick and Gilly Roberts for passing the three theory tests for Substrates, Invertebrates and Fish, and to Andrew Bray for passing his Invertebrates and Fish tests. Despite minimal visibility on the day, all three shone in their practical exams at 3 Rocks in Dibba, Fujairah and they are now certified to take part in survey dives under the guidance of EDA’s Reef Check EcoDiver Trainer, Rania Shawki Mostafa.
The new EcoDivers share their experience below:
How beneficial was the Reef Check EcoDiver course for you as a diver?
“Very, I appreciate the extra knowledge about what I see when I’m diving. I really enjoyed the course as it’s given me a greater understanding of the sea life I see, and how it relates to the health of the ocean environment.” – Tony Sidgwick
“Reef Check was very beneficial. It’s so good to know how to do these surveys and see and understand the impact of what we do; and then how to manage this. Rania, our trainer, was the most positive person I have ever met. She shared her passion for everything involving the oceans; the enthusiasm and motivation she pushed across was amazing.” – Gilly Roberts
“It was very beneficial to me as a diver as I now identify and notice invertebrates and fish that I did not normally register on my dives before. Secondly, I’ve started to see the damage that is taking place with coral. Last week I noticed damage to coral from an anchor. It has made all of my dives far more interesting and enjoyable. The course was delivered in an amazing way and I have learned so much more about that environment and the living species that occupy it. I would recommend this course to any diver.” – Andrew Bray
EDA is looking forward to the other four candidates completing their course as well as getting monthly Reef Check surveys underway. If you are interested in getting trained with EDA, please contact them at reefcheck@emiratesdiving.com.
