Divemaster Trainee Fish Identification Presentation
This year we already have 4 Divemaster trainees (DMT) within our ranks, who spend their daily lives with us assisting our instructors on a full range of courses, as well as developing their dive skills, learn how to give a dive briefing, how to guide certified divers on fun dives, and how to assist with the everyday tasks of a dive centre such as filling tanks in the compressor room and how to sell equipment and courses.
We at Dive Central like to shake things up a little and our social life with our DMT’s is as important as the diving! That’s why this week we sat down over a beer and held a Divemaster, fish identification presentation where each of our DMT’s selected a marine creature they would like to showcase, providing us all with even more information about their habitat and behaviours. Sharing is caring right? Lets dive right into it then…
Our DMT’s taking part included Thierry from Switzerland, Matej from Czech Republic, Marit from The Netherlands and Michaela from South Africa.
Headed up by our judges and Instructors Roos, Julian and Deris, it was time for lights, camera, action! Did we mention their was also a prize? Why of course! The winner of the presentation would be the lucky receiver of non other than… a fresh white, never been used before (we promise) dive slate!
Judges Julian, Roos & Deris (left)
DMT competitor Matej has his eye on the prize! (right)
Thierry was first up. Thierry loves his Nudi’s… the nudibranch variety of course and chose to focus on a specific type; The Desirable Flabellina! Opting to keep it low key (this is a rarity), Thierry chose to present sitting down to his eagerly awaiting audience. Did he not know there was a fresh white, never been used before dive slate up for grabs! Nevertheless, Thierry presented some fascinating facts about the Desirable Flabellina, including explaining how they pass their food through their digestive system into the Cnidosacs (tip of their spine) where it then turns into poison!
DMT Thierry used our in-house, fish ID book to assist his showcase of the Desirable Flabellina
Next up was Michaela, who unlike Thierry, opted to showcase her presentation of Sea Anemones using humans to demonstrate their behaviour! We learnt that there are actually over 1,000 species of sea anemones throughout the worlds oceans living at different depths, running the full spectrum of colours and some can be as small as half an inch or as large as 6 feet across living and attached to rocks on the sea bottom or on coral reefs, patiently waiting for fish to pass close enough to get caught in their venom filled tentacles!
Michaela used visuals as well as humans to present (left)
Sea Anemone by @thewanderlovers (right)
Its safe to say not only did the team enjoy her facts but also her use of using human body language to showcase their behaviour!
Onto our next DMT from The Netherlands, the lovely Marit, who chose to educate us all further about one of our fishy favourites and regular sightings here in The Gili Islands, the yellow spotted boxfish.
Scientifically named the Ostracion cubicus, not only are they one of the cutest and most interesting species of boxfish to spot (<< see what we did there), they can reach a maximum length of 45 centimetres and and survive on a diet of algae, worms, crustaceans, molluscs and small fish. Interestingly we learnt that when stressed or injured, it releases the neurotoxin tetrodoxin from its skin that may prove lethal to the fish in the surrounding waters. Well, we still think you’re cute! Merit chose to hand around what should be a must have BCD accessory for every diver, a yellow spotted boxfish regulator holder. The cuteness is never ending hey!
Last, but definitely not least, Matej was up and boy did he potentially save the best until last. Matej chose to go all interactive on us and made strives to put together an interactive quiz for our team! It consisted of a series of questions put to our team that they could select an answer from using a multiple choice answer through an app on their phones. How cool is that? Now the game was well and truly on! The stakes were high as each question about the Harlequin Shrimp was deliberated, selected and answer revealed.
Throughout the quiz, there were shouts of joy and despair as people moved up and down on the leader board, but there could only be one winner, with instructor Roos coming out on top. Did you know that the Harlequin shrimp form breeding pairs who rarely move more than a few inches away from each other for the rest of their lives? The definition of mates for life! Forget the team quiz, it seems as if the yellow spotted boxfish and the Harlequin shrimp are in their own competition for level of cuteness.
Roos is declared the winner, although Julian thought the laptop was broken! (left)
Harlequin Shrimp Pairing by @thewanderlovers (right)
Presentations delivered and a ton of fun had, it was eventually time for Roos, Julian and Deris to discuss the winning presentation. Who’s got your vote so far?
Each and every one of our DMT’s were brilliant in their presentation of their subject matter, all with different styles of delivery and enthusiasm, but there could only be one winner. Drum roll please… Matej for his interactive showcase of the Harlequin Shrimp!
Enjoy your dive slate Matej!
Have you ever thought about completing your Divemaster training? Here at Dive Central Gili, if you love diving and want to share your love of diving with others as well as spend more time under the water and make that enthralling, possibly life changing step to becoming a PADI professional, then come & be a part of our team for the 5-8 weeks it will take to enter the professional world of diving and qualify as a Divemaster! Details here
