Room for improvement........

This week was very important for some of our more experienced interns, and a glimpse into the future for the novices. Last Friday four of them (Malena, Theiss, Gerardo and Mel) undertook their Divemaster Practical Skills section of their assessment and we were able to observe. Whilst they were not perfect, we got to see some very strong displays that will act as real inspiration for us. Tough but achievable was certainly the outcome from my observations! Alongside this the skills also entail showing a ‘student’ how to conduct a proper pre-dive safety check and how to assemble (and disassemble) scuba equipment for a Discover Scuba Diving experience. Quite frankly there is a lot to remember! The important thing is to ensure the language is as precise as possible, which is difficult when surrounded by experienced divers using more verbally friendly names for things like Low Pressure Inflator Hose and Submersible Pressure Gauge.

I was able to undertake my Divemaster Deep Dive at one of my favourite sites, Poco Nufraigio. Being just outside the marina it is nice and close; a big positive for Aiden (a regular customer). However, my own fondness is due to the resident Round Stingray. This huge example flies around the sands at just below 30 metres and really surprised me this time! As Will (a fellow intern) and I were doing a reciprocal bearing we turned 180 degrees and found ourselves face to face with it, hugging the bottom in the relatively low visibility. The Live Sharksucker that accompanied it really made the dive, as well as it being one more step towards Divemaster.

One afternoon the interns were also able to see the documentary film “The Cove”. This harrowing story about the capture and killing of dolphins in one small area of rural Japan was simply disgusting. The numbers murdered are believed to be in tens of thousands and lack of action by the International Whaling Commission is severely hampering efforts to stop it, along with state protection for those involved. Some positive steps appear to have been taken, but soon it will probably be too late.

This week I was also able to observe a Discover Scuba Diving pool session. It was interesting to see how Will, our instructor, was able to help a customer who was both unconfident and without a strong command of English. As is often the case, it appeared that it was a case of a ‘mental block’ rather than an actual physical issue. It was really quite gratifying when I heard that she was able to complete the open water section of her DSD with only a couple of problems.

The final part of this week was a number of stamina assessments for our Divemaster qualifications. Ranging from the relaxing 15-minute float to the torpedo role-playing involved in the 800-metre snorkel, these are necessary and sometimes tiring parts of the assessment. Along with an improving time in the 400-metre swim, these seem to be working well for me at the moment. However, like the rest of the assessed skills, there is still plenty of room for improvement.

Bruce (Alastair)

1st Cuttle fish, 2nd Night Dive and should I eat fish?

Week two of my internship has just came to a close, and I am finally beginning to feel like there is actually solid ground beneath my feet. I am slowly becoming more and more used to the daily routine, and do not feel completely like a “Twat”, half a twat maybe, but not a full blown twat. I am not ace perfect star intern, but I am better off than last week... I hope.

Now that the boring stuff is out of the way lets talk about CUTTLEFISH! I have finally seen two of them. All in the same day, and it had made my day a very good day. One was about the size of a mouse, just swimming around on the bottom of the desolate floor. The second one was napping on the reef paying no mind, to us the divers. It was a great day to be me.

Same dive same day I also saw Octopus again. The only reason I actually saw this octopus is because it was reaching out for a sea shell just 2 feet away from its den. Once again it was a great day to be diving.
Last but not least on this epic day of diving we saw a Eagle ray swimming off into the distance. Where it was going, we will never know, but I hope to see one a lot closer soon.

Next topic I would like to mention was the night dive. This was one of the gnarliest things I have ever done.  I just have never dived in night time conditions. I did a simulated night dive in a bayou once and that just does not compare at all. On this dive I saw an nudibranch, and that is also one of those creatures that I was completely ecstatic at seeing.

Call me a sucker for invertebrates, but they are just the craziest alien looking beings ever, and for that reason I find it safe to say the coolest animals alive. Seeing all the bioluminescent plankton lighting up at our kicking fins and swaying hands was something out of a dream.  It will probably be a memory I never forget, and will cherish for life.

I have also verified that fish at Yellow Mountain do in fact rush to a diver who happens to have a knife out. Which is really cool, it shines a new light on the brain dead fish concept.
The draw back to this newfound discovery is it is making me not want to consume fish any more. Which is a bummer, but it will start weighing heavily on my conscious.
AHHH decisions, decisions.

I have really enjoyed this second week of my internship, and I am beginning to feel more comfortable with all the tasks assigned, and the work. It should really only keep getting better as time progresses, and if by some miracle I see a shark, then I can die happy. I would prefer not to though, but just an expression. 6 more weeks of this is something that can hopefully go a little slower, because time is really flying me by.
I really enjoy exploring the island very much, I got my self a bike from the second hand store which is the most convenient thing ever. YESSSSS !

Trigger

Diving in El Paso............ well Tenerife actually :)

Within the confines of this page is a re-account of my experiences with the Divemaster internship with Dive and Sea Tenerife. As I sit here trying to re-count all the wonderful things I have encountered within my first seven days here, I am faced with a huge dilemma.........
How long is this blog suppose to be?
How long is too long?
Therefore I will try to keep it short and simple out of consideration for your well being, and save you from boredom.

I arrived here at the end of June after being lost for quite a while. I eventually made it to my what my roommate Melissa refers to as a “flat”. Never in my life have I met anyone with a English or Scottish accent and here in the Dive shop it is common thing to hear.
Since apparently Tenerife is a super tourist hot spot for people from the UK, and other regions around that Island. Eventually the grace period of me arriving wore off, and the real work began.

The work I am not going to lie is honestly better than anything I have ever had to do. I use to work at Wal-mart and at that place time just seemed to stand still. I would actually just hold my breath for fun, trying to pass the minutes. Here in the Dive shop, time flies. Never is there a moment were your not busy doing something, which is productive. Its one of those bitter sweet things. Best of all I get to dive in paradise.

The most surprising thing about Tenerife is it looks exactly like El Paso Texas, BUT it has a beach and a volcano. There is mountains and that desert environment. Which is something I do not mind at all, I am completely in my element.  The diving here is the best I have ever seen, but bear in mind that I have only seen murky 7 ft max visibility.
Beauty is subjective, but I am positive anyone who dives here in Tenerife would agree that there is an abundance of beautiful rock formations and things to see down in the sea. That rhyme is not intentional and cheesy but I shall leave it there.

The event that resonated most in my head and I found very fascinating was on the first two dives I went out on. There are these long spined black sea urchins that are very, very abundant here. Apparently they are an invasive species, and are managing to thrive here, while driving out native populations of urchins and other native life. Well to curb this problem we are allowed to kill the sea urchins on sight. The strangest thing occurred when I pulled out my knife and started approaching a Urchin. Fish gathered around the urchin and my knife anxiously anticipating the murder that was about to transpire. It was not just a one time thing, this repeatedly happened ever time I had my knife out, and approached a sea urchin. Everyone likes to imagine fish as these absent minded beings who aimlessly swim with no hopes and dreams. While maybe they are not the brightest crayon in the box, they do in fact seem to possess some type of memory retention, not just innately inherited from generation to generation.

Its similar to the Pavlonian conditioning: The study where dogs were conditioned to associate the ringing of a bell with feeding time. Every time the dogs would hear the bell, they would proceed to salivate in anticipation of receiving food. Here the fish have conditioned themselves to associate a diver with a knife = sea urchin guts. It just shines a different light on the blue damsel fish, and other various species that swim in that are, maybe fish really are not as stupid as the world wants to believe. Obviously I need to see if it was not just a coincidence.

Another thought that crossed my mind is when I saw the octopus just chilling in its humble little den amongst the rocks. If Octopi? Octopi is the correct plural version of octopus?
Well if Octopi are actually very intelligent beings do they posses self-awareness, and if they do have such capabilities, what exactly is it doing in its den. Does it only sleep in its den? Or do they just sit in there rearranging the rocks in front of their homes. Two things drive nature, and that is the need to eat, and procreate.
Dolphins participate in games, and other various distractions, so if a Octopus is as smart as studies have demonstrated, what is its end game. Octopus die once they have had their batch of babies ( I am not sure if this is true for all species or only some), but are they aware of this? So many questions so little time.

Boyce