Seychelles Achievement Report September 2015

Report Title
Completion of the PADI Open Water course for Seychelles National Parks
Authority Rangers

Objective
As part of the ongoing partnership between GVI Seychelles and Seychelles
National Parks Authority (SNPA) an arrangement was made for three SNPA
rangers to partake in the PADI Open Water course under the instruction of GVIs
Dive Officer, with the aim of strengthening the relationship between GVI and
SNPA and allowing the rangers to undertake future reef monitoring projects.
Summary
GVI works very closely with Seychelles National Parks Authority and a good
relationship between the two has been in place since the inception of GVI
Seychelles in 2004. SNPA manage the marine park in which GVI is based and
where our volunteers conduct a large amount of research, and a long-term
objective of GVI is to develop our relationship with SNPA and support them in
their monitoring projects around Northwest Mah.
Report
Since the mass-bleaching event of 1998 extensive efforts have been made in the
Seychelles, in particular along the coastline of northwest Mahe, to monitor the
recovery of the coral reefs from this and subsequent bleachings. Seychelles
National Parks Authority have been instrumental in this and ever since GVI first
established a base here at Cap Ternay in 2004 we have worked very closely
alongside them. It is SNPA who ultimately make the decision on which dive sites
we conduct our surveys and exactly which coral or fish we are surveying. All of
the data gathered by our volunteers through the various surveys we conduct is
given to SNPA who then use that data to formulate management plans for the
Marine Park and surrounding areas. Indeed, it is because of our partnership with

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SNPA that we are able to dive so frequently in the beautiful marine park at Baie
Ternay!
As such we frequently liaise with SNPA in order to continue the development of
our partnership with them, and previous teambuilding exercises between both
parties have included raft races, beach cleans and barbeques. Therefore, when
SNPA approached GVI requesting we conduct the PADI Open Water Course for
some of their marine rangers we were more than happy to oblige!
So, on September 14, SNPA rangers Dean William, Steven Vital and Jelle Perrine
came along to the GVI base at Cap Ternay to start their course with GVI
Seychelles Dive Officer, Ben Hughes. Their first morning was spent in the
classroom, watching the Open Water video and completing some of the theory
work. After a hearty lunch the four of them hopped aboard SNPAs trusty boat
and went out into the Bay to find an ideal shallow, sandy patch in which to start
their confined water training. All three of the students instantly proved
themselves to be comfortable in the water and mastered skills such as regulator
recovery and mask clearing in no time at all. A very promising start!
Day two began with more theory work in the classroom and a quick briefing from
Ben about the dives planned for the afternoon. After a bite to eat all four again
ventured out into the bay on the SNPA boat for a sunny afternoon on (and under)
the water. A short session in the shallows and a spot of treading water was in
order before it was time for the serious business of the students first Open
Water dive! After mooring up in deeper water the divers jumped into the ocean
and enjoyed their first true experience of the underwater world. A couple of skills
were first on the agenda before Ben led the students on a swim around the
stunning Baie Ternay reef the very reef that GVI and SNPA are working so hard
to monitor and protect! It turned out to be a very successful dive our three
students proved to be natural at diving and the sea creatures were out in force,
with hawksbill turtles, whitetip reef sharks, moray eels and stingrays paying the
divers a visit.
Back on the surface and on the boat, the surface interval was spent with
everyone enjoying the sun, only being interrupted by the introduction of a packet
of biscuits. After another briefing the divers were back in the water and ready to
start Open Water Dive number two, with particular attention being focused on
the students buoyancy in the water. Once again, they were more than up to the
challenge and proved themselves to be quite competent with all the skills
required of them. It seemed to Ben like they had been diving for years! This time
the highlight of the dive was a little green turtle that appeared over the crest of
the reef just as the divers were starting their exploration of the reef. Once at the
surface again, all that was left for the day was a 200-metre swim back to the
shore slow and steady with a lot of giggling and teasing but all three of the
students easily managed it. All in all, it had turned out to be an enjoyable and
successful day for students and instructor alike!
It was pats on the back all round the next morning as Dean, Steven and Jelle all
passed their exam with flying colours and thus successfully finished all of the
theory work for the course. The afternoon was spent completing the confined
water section before moving onto the third Open Water dive, with Ben and the
gang now able to venture a little bit deeper and explore some of the other areas
of Baie Ternays reef. Even at eighteen metres a combination of good visibility
and strong sunlight contributed to another very pleasant dive with more sharks

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and turtles passing by. The students were improving dive by dive and, perhaps
most impressively, all three managed to navigate using a compass without
getting lost at all!
And so it was that on September 17 Dean, Steven and Jelle all came down to Cap
Ternay for their final day of the course and, fittingly, it was another fine day in
the Bay. The students even had their own fan club for Open Water Dive four GVI
Base Manager Mariliana and Science Coordinator Anna joined Ben and the team
for photographic support! After a quick photo-shoot on the beach it was on to the
SNPA boat for the final time and a short journey out to sea. A dive plan was
established by the students, with a little assistance from Ben, before the group
were in the water and descending down to the reef. The final dive proved to be
every bit as enjoyable as the previous three had been, with the eagle-eyed
students spotting yet more turtles, a rather shy octopus hiding along the edge of
the reef and a small group of eagle rays swimming serenely by.

So congratulations go to Dean, Steven and Jelle upon successful completion of

their course, and we look forward to seeing them in the future for their Advanced
Open Water. It is a great achievement for them, and their new-found skills offer
SNPA further resources to make use of during their management of the reefs and
shoreline around the Seychelles. As well as that, it was a great bonding
experience for the representatives from GVI and SNPA, further strengthening our
relationship with them. Winners all round!

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