ProjectAWARE recently released their 'AWARE Shark Conservation' Distinctive Speciality course. I can honestly say that this speciality is well worth a day of anyones time, plus PADI are donating 100% of the certification fee to ProjectAWARE.

Luckily for me my IDC/MSDT Course Director Richard Swann at Dive Downbelow was the very first Instructor and Instructor trainer in this speciality. To coincide with Shout for Shark Week he was offering the speciality for just the cost of the PADI certification fee, giving his time and knowledge for free. He also decided to extend his free time and knowledge and run an Instructor course in the speciality at just the cost of the PADI certification fee. Myself and Joe, another MSDT intern here, jumped at the chance.

TARP has a resident population of Blacl Tip Reef Sharks but little has been done in the way of organised research on them here. Richard documents when and where he sees them, but there aren't enough hours in the day to study them as he would like to.

I am now looking forward to sharing the valuable knowledge I have gained from the course and my time diving with sharks around the world. I encourage everyone to take the course if you have the chance. It is a real eye opener and hopefully we will soon develop an Army to defend the sharks - trust me, they need our help! If anyone wants more information feel free to ask!