Time for some study, beer and a Vegemite sandwich

My first 2 weeks of being a dive intern in a nutshell…

So, flying in from Milan, Italy, after travelling Europe for 2 months, it was a relief to finally arrive in Tenerife, after months of emailing Pete and Melissa regarding planning, sorting problems, dates and visas etc etc…I was finally here!!

My first few days mostly involved observing the way everything works around here, and trying to remember who’s who and what’s what and which goes where…there’s a lot to remember! But I’m getting there, slowly but surely.

I have really enjoyed the dives we have been going on, seeing all the beautiful aquatic life, and breathing underwater feels amazing. After spending so much time on the surface surfing, seeing it from a totally different perspective is awesome.

We have been getting around quite a few dive sites; it’s fascinating to see the vast differences between different dive sites in the area.

You have Abades where you can follow the reef out, exploring all the cracks and crevices. Each dive I have had here, I have seen at least 2 Moray Eels, and huge amounts of fish also some Octopus, Cuttlefish and Cleaner Shrimp.

Next we have Yellow Mountain which I love for the huge rock reefs that are on otherwise flat sea bed, which you can swim up, over through and around.

Also Poco Naufragio which is on the marinawall, the main aspect of this site for me was the Stingrays, it is awesome to watch them gracefully swim around. I also found the depth and hugeness of the marina wall itself very interesting, seeing the huge cement cubes forming such a massive structure.

Then last but not least, there’s ElPuertitio…only one word for this place. Turtles. Amazing how close you can get to them, and how unfazed they are by you. Curiously swimming straight past your face, checking you out, and staring you straight in the eyes.

Getting to know Pete, Melissa, Alice and all the other interns has been really good (and funny!) There’s always some sort of joke going on between everyone which makes it all the more fun.

When we haven’t been diving or talking bout ‘outrageous’ things we are either reading our books and studying (or pretending to) cleaning, swimming, sunbathing, drinking beer and eating vegemite sandwiches.

So its not a bad life here on Tenerife… well if you can avoid doing stupid things and receiving ‘beer fines’ (which is a Melissa and Pete enforced rule which basically means if you make a ridiculous rookie mistake like forgetting a part of someone’s equipment, forgetting the boat keys when you’re going out on the boat, or leaving a tank standing up. You have to put 1 euro in a jar, and then we get to spend it all together).

I have also already had 4 splendid days off, which I have been using to discover the island. I have worked the bus system out, and have cruised around to Las Galletas, Los Christianos, Las Americas, El Medino and up to Santa Cruz, which has been really fun and exciting to explore the beaches and streets and to try and get away from the touristy areas and get a real taste of Spain!

So essentially that’s been my first couple of weeks as a Dive and Sea Tenerife Divemaster intern, and I’m really looking forward to the upcoming weeks, to learn some new skills, see some more amazing places and make some new friends.

Love Hayley