Look what one of our Padi Course Directors at Oceans 5 dive resort has got from Padi! Camille Lemmens is awarded with a Certificate of Recognition of Excellence Award. One of his last students at Oceans 5 dive resort was so happy with him as Course Director during the Padi Instructor Development Course (IDC) , that he, John, wrote an email to Padi.
Well John, Thank you, enjoy diving around the Gili Island, Indonesia. Happy Bubbles!
Scientists have discovered a fish living in forest swamps on the Indonesian island of Sumatra that is only 7.9mm long.
The species of fish belongs to the carp family and is called Paedocypris progenetica . It is the world’s smallest vertebrate or backboned animal.
Living in acid
The tiny, see-through Paedocypris fish have the appearance of larvae and have a reduced head skeleton, which leaves the brain unprotected by bone.
They live in dark tea-coloured waters with an acidity of pH3, which is at least 100 times more acidic than rainwater.
‘This is one of the strangest fish that I’ve seen in my whole career’, said Ralf Britz, zoologist at the Natural History Museum.
‘It’s tiny, it lives in acid and it has these bizarre grasping fins. I hope we’ll have time to find out more about them before their habitat disappears completely.’
Threatened swamps
The swamps were once thought to harbour very few animals, but recent research has revealed that they are highly diverse and home to many species that occur nowhere else.
In 1997 the peat swamps were damaged by large forest fires and they are still threatened by logging, urbanisation and agriculture. Several populations of Paedocypris have already been lost.
Fish discovery
The new fish was discovered by fish experts Maurice Kottelat (from Switzerland) and Tan Heok Hui from the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research in Singapore. They were working with their colleagues from Indonesia and with Kai-Erik Witte from the Max Planck Institute in Germany. Ralf Britz, at the Natural History Museum , helped analyse its skeleton and the complex structure of the pelvic fin.
Previous smallest
The previous record for smallest vertebrate was held by an 8mm species of Indo Pacific goby. The UK’s smallest fish is the marine Guillet’s goby, Lebetus guilleti , reaching 24mm in length.
The 8th of June was a beautiful day. It started as a normal day, between 7 and 8 oclock in the morning people were waiting for their boat going to Gili Trawangan, or Lombok.
But around 9 more and more children came to the harbor, all the children of the village of Gili Air came to the meeting point to join the World Ocean Day games organized by the local community and Wild Life Society.
During the day there were competition in drawing, swimming, kayaking, collecting rubbish, tug ‘o’ war and beach and reef clean ups.
Hunderds of people were joining the day. Most of them were local. It is a great initiative, and the local population of the Island starts realizing how the important the oceans is for them and for the world.
Hopefully there will be a great event like this next year
The Basking Shark
I know what you’re thinking, and no, the basking shark is not also referred to as the mother-in-law of the ocean. While the skeleton of a shark is made up of cartilage, unlike the bones of a fish, technically a shark is a fish. With that being settled, we can move on to what secured this beast the number eight spot on the top ten creepiest fish in the world list.
The basking shark is a classic example of why you should never judge a book by its cover. The fierce look of this monster is the only thing that qualified it for the top ten creepiest fish. In fact, the basking shark poses no threat to humans at all if left alone. Established to be the second largest species of shark, and found all over the world, weighing in at up to 19 tons and as much as 40 ft long. It is also one of the three known species of filter-feeding sharks. Unlike the other two filter-feeders, the basking shark does not have the ability to use suction and actively pump water in to their pharynxes. Instead it must rely solely on the passive flow of water, which is strained for food by gill rakers, at a rate of 2000 tons of water per hour. This heavyweight survives on invertebrates, small fish and zooplankton.
The basking shark was once a staple of fisheries because of previously abundant numbers, unaggressive nature, and slow swimming speed. In fact, basking sharks have been protected, and it’s products restricted in many countries. Once considered a nuisance along the canadian Pacific coast, basking sharks were the target of a government eradication from 1945 to 1970. Now protected and monitored, they are an important draw to dive tourism in areas where they are common. Basking sharks are tolerant of boats and divers approaching, and may even circle curious divers.
For more information: Http://www.oceans5dive.com
The IDC course at Oceans 5 in April 2013 was so fun and inspirational all thanks to Camille! Camille was very knowledgeable and it showed in his teaching. His organisation in preparing us for our IE and our future diving career was impeccable.
I would recommend Camille as the course director for anyone looking to become an instructor.
Alycia Garriock, Australia, OWSI, April 2013, Gili Air Indonesia
The Emergency First Response Instructor Course provides qualified individuals with the additional training necessary to teach the Emergency First Response Primary Care (CPR), Secondary Care (First Aid) and Care for Children courses.
Oceans 5 dive resort conducts this course every month. This month Oceans 5 had 4 candidates, Riet, Ben, Lucie and Alycia. The candidates wanted to become a Padi dive instructor and to become one you should be a EFR instructor.
The course takes 2 days. And during these days you will have to follow some presentations of the instructor trainer and practice teaching skills. At the end there is a final exam.
Now Oceans 5 and the Gili Islands have 7 new Padi dive instructors and 4 new EFR instructors. Well Done.
Note: You don’t need to be a diver to attend this course!
Marble Ray facts
The Marble Ray has many names, including two scientific ones: Taeniura meyeni and T. melanospilos. Its common names include Black-spotted stingray, Giant reef ray, Marbled ray,Blotched fantail ray and Round ribbontail ray.
The first thing you notice about the Marble Ray is its great size. It can be 3 m in length and1.7 m wide. Round in shape it is covered with a dense pattern of black spots.
It is not aggressive but you need to be careful of the spines on the tail.
You see the Marble Ray in the Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea andEast Africa to southern Japan, Micronesia and tropical Australia;and in the Cocos and Galapagos islands in the Eastern Pacific.It occurs in a wide range of habitats, from shallow lagoons to outer reef slopes, and usually has other fish like jacks swimming near them.
Carnivorous, the Marble Ray eats bottom fish and crustaceans.
The female bears live young: the eggs are kept in the body of the female where the embryo develops. Up to seven pups hatch from the egg capsules and are born soon afterwards.
The ray is classified as “vulnerable” on theIUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This means that it is at high risk of endangerment in the wild. Although Australia and the Maldives protect the raythrough marine parks and prohibiting the export of raysand ray products, elsewhere the species is caught byline gear and trawl throughout its range. For example,in Indonesia Taeniura meyeni is regularly takenin low numbers by tangle netters operating out ofJakarta (Java), Bali and Merauke (West Papua), whiledemersal longliners that operate out of Lombok andlarge pair trawlers operating out of Meraukeirregularly take adults. The latter fishery comprisessome 650 vessels and pressure is intense where thevessels operate in the Arafura Sea. Low numbers ofjuveniles are also taken by prawn and fish trawlersaround Indonesia, particularly in the Java Sea.Overall, fishing pressure is significant over mostof the species’ range throughout Asia and across itsIndian Ocean range (India, East Africa etc). Additional pressure exists on its habitat in that region due to destructive fishing practices (dynamitefishing) and run-off impacting coral reef systems,the main habitat of the species.
Today it is the day for the IDC candidates, the PADI Instructor Examination starts at Gili Trawangan at 16.00 in Villa Ombak.
The IDC candidates of Oceans 5 are well prepared, but how does it work a PADI IE?
To complete your Instructor traning you need to be tested after you complete your IDC, You will only be allowed to take these exams once your IDC has been passed succesfuly, these tests or examinations are needed so that you can certify as an OWSI. The exam is a right of passage for PADI Instructors and is known as the Instructor Examination (IE).
The purpose of the IE is to evaluate your knowledge and skills in order to make sure they are sufficient to earn a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor certification. It is an evaluation program that tests your teaching ability, dive theory knowledge, water-skills, understanding of the PADI System and attitude and professionalism. The IE is a standardized evaluation conducted by Instructor Examiners who work for the various PADI Offices.
The IE is run by professional PADI Instructor Examiners from the local PADI Regional Headquarters, which goes a long way to ensure that your Instructor assessments are correct and without bias.
You will be tested both on your dive theory and knowledge as well as your personal dive skills and teaching presentations and these will occour in a classroom type environment, additionally these exams take place in both confined (pool) and open water (normally the beach if local dive conditions allow) environments. Confined water environments for the PADI IE is normally restricted to swimming pools to aid administration and logistics.
To pass the IE and to get certified as a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor you have to succesfully meet the standards in every section of the Instructor Examination or IE. If you fail at your first attempt at the IE you will be permitted to take a second IE. Your second IE is not allowed to be taken within 5 days of the first and if you wait longer than 1 year after the first one you will need to either take a full IDC again or apply to PADI.
For further information about IDCs on Gili Air: info@oceans5dive.com
Before you know it’s over and only a memory is left. Sounds like the February 2013 PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) on Gili Air in Indonesia in conjunction with PADI 5* IDC Center Oceans 5, and it’s a good memory to boost!
Hard work has been put in by all candidates and staff alike and now they’re ready for the PADI IE on Gili Trawangan, starting 26th February. Come 28th February, there should be 3 brand new PADI instructors on Gili Air! 3 and not 4 because John will have to wait until he has 100 logged dives and his time will come in April.
Today the day before the PADI Instructor Examination starts is a day off. The candidates are using the time with fun diving around the Gili Islands and practicing some skills in the swimming pool. Today the IE will starts with the orientation and exams. In the following 2 days all the water work and classroom presentation should be done.
If you like to change your lifstyle, like Matt, Janneke, Iggy and John did, if you like to have the ocean as your office? Thinking to become a PADI dive instructor? The next Instructor Development Course (IDC) starts the 21st of April at Oceans 5 dive resort. For further information: info@oceans5dive.com
A few months ago Marcel arrived in the diveshop. He wanted the become a Padi Divemaster.
In these months he is around he learned a lot about guiding, assisting and the dive theory. Oceans 5 learned a lot about underwater photography. Because one of Marcels passions is taking pictures underwater.
Marcel is an excellent spotter, he knows where all the strange little creatures live, it is always a pleasure to dive with him and look afterwards what kind of pictures he took. He is not only a excellent photographer, a great diver but also a very nice guy! With now 300 dives under his belt he is an experienced diver, who shows you the most beautiful things underwater.
Oceans 5 dive resort will miss him. In a few days he will continues his travels to Thailand. Hopefully we see him one day back when he wants to become a Padi Instructor.
Marcel, Congratulation to become a Padi Divemaster, Let the party starts!