Hi, from @theseanditscreatures!
I am very honoured to write for scuba-girl.com.
First, I would like to start with a brief introduction of myself. I am a 21 year old marine biology student and scuba instructor from Italy, but based in the UK, very keen on taking part in interesting adventures and travels. I have been diving since I was 10, thanks to my dad, my biggest inspiration. As soon as I turned 18, I got my Divemaster and consequently my scuba instructor certification.
I have lived abroad for the past three years, starting from Central America, Honduras, through London and the Maldives, then stopping in the UK, where I am attending my university course.
Being a scuba diving instructor
Being a scuba diving instructor is not just as cool as everybody thinks, I would say it even cooler! It means not only being underwater and teaching how to scuba dive, which is great, but also traveling all over the world doing what you love the most. It requires a lot of passion and dedication, but it is definitely worth it.
Personally I have had the best experiences of my life working around the world from the Caribbean to the Maldives, experiencing different cultures and life styles.
Being adaptive and able to change gave me the opportunity to be able to engage with people that come from different backgrounds as well as adapt myself to completely life styles. They are skills that you either have already or you can gain while you travel, but they are essential to be able to enjoy fully a cultural change.
One of the places that changed me as a diver and also as a person is Cuba.
I was part the staff of an Opwall expedition in Cuba for about two months over the summer. Working as a scuba diving instructor in Cuba is a unique experience both for the marine wildlife present there and for the cultural enrichment you gain by living with the local population.
A brief introduction to some species of Cuban marine life.
THE REEFS OF ISLA DE LA JUVENTUD.
Reefs in Cuba are still relatively in good conditions. Isla de la Juventud, where I was based for part of the time, presents quite healthy reefs with abundance of vegetation. The underwater landscapes are fascinating due to their bright colours that, combined with the light penetrating through the sea, create a very unique atmosphere.
Punta Frances is one of the most characteristic dive sites around the Island. Its reefs are colourful, but due to intense fishing, the quantity of fish has been decreasing in the past few years. However, it still remains one of the wildest places I have ever been to.
PLAYA GIRON, SECOND PART OF MY TRIP TO CUBA.
Moving to another amazing place on the mainland of Cuba was great. I had the opportunity to do some of the best dives of my life and to meet some of the most unique marine species.
Playa Giron is a beach and village on the east bank of the Bay of Pigs, which is located in the province of Matanzas, on the southern coast of Cuba. It is one of the best places in Cuba for snorkeling and diving.
In front of the Playa Giron hotel, there is a very large reef which is not easily reachable. This dive is suggested for expert divers. One day, willing to discover some new spots, I went diving with a local divemaster that showed me the best spots of that dive site.
What surprised me about the marine creatures in the Cuban waters is the abundance of lobsters. Travelling in other places around the Caribbean I have noticed how they have been fished and over fished for years showing a large decrease of them. As a future marine biologist and Oceanlover I am impressed and I would recommend to conserve and preserve them in order to keep them as numerous as possible.
A big thank you
To conclude,
This was a brief presentation of myself and of one of my experiences around the world. Thanks to everybody who is following and will follow my future adventures and pictures. I am very happy and surprised about the positive feedback I am currently getting.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article.
Check out my latest posts on @theseanditcreatures on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/theseanditscreatures/
Marta @theseanditscreatures
