The first group of our 300+ mass PADI Open Water Diver students from Camps International has recently departed the shores of Gaya Island to explore the rest of Borneo! Before leaving, the selfless youngsters volunteered to clean up the marine debris from the nearby beaches together with our island staff team.

It’s been rather windy weather as a precursor to the ‘wet’ season, typical of such tropical parts of the world as Borneo! Each morning, the ‘clean up crew’ scour the beaches to keep the rubbish off the beach, which if left there will find its way into the seas and oceans to throw off the delicate balance of our beautiful underwater world!

It’s been a natural concern for the young Borneo adventurers’ because they’ve spent a few nights camping at our PADI 5 Star Dive Centre on Gaya Island, as well as broadening their knowledge, as well as their horizons, about our natural environment.

For those not wishing to attain a dive certification we offer the PADI AWARE Coral Reef Conservation Specialty. It is a fantastic presentation about coral reef, with participants encouraged to openly discuss the topics, which include the biology of corals, the economical benefits of coral reef preservation and factors that are harmful to reef biodiversity, such as pollution and overfishing.

It’s very popular at our beach house because there is no pre-requisites before enrolling, so absolutely anyone with an interest are welcome! 

These marine enthusiasts’, divers or not, will raise awareness about the dangers to our marine environment by simply sharing their experience with others!

All at Downbelow thank the group for enjoying their island activity and hope to dive together again one day!