Dr Anjani Ganase advocates diving education for everyone who lives by the sea or wants to be in the sea. The sea makes islands livable.
We arrived at Speyside around 9 am. The sun was out, and the conditions were perfect for diving. Aquamarine water wrapped around Goat Island and Little Tobago. There was a bustling excitement at the dive shop. Dive suits were being fitted, forms were being signed and eager parents were on the sidelines watching on.
This weekend, I was going out diving for the first time with the ASJA Boys' Scuba Diving and Reef Conservation Club.
As a coral reef scientist in Trinidad and Tobago, I’m always keen to show students what I do and excited to foster interest in the fields of marine science. Life on islands requires us to see the ocean as part of our territory, our responsibility and culture.
[caption id="attachment_1066765" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Diving Speyside with Dr Anjani Ganase. - Photo by Anjani Ganase[/caption]
We only had a couple days to prepare, two lectures in the week prior, but I was less interested in what they remembered, and more curious to see how they would literally perform simple tasks “under pressure.”
With Mrs Farah Hosein-Bose, geography teacher and a dive enthusiast herself, we were a group of 11 diving together. We were hosted by Tobago Dive Experience, run by Sean Robinson. He is a veteran teacher of diving, and along with his team of dive masters, took charge of keeping the students safe on the boat and underwater.
Diving is a skill in which the methods of breathing, buoyancy and navigation have to become second nature, and more opportunities to dive mean more experiences.
[caption id="attachment_1066766" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Diving Speyside with Dr Anjani Ganase. - Photo by Anjani Ganase[/caption]
For marine scientists, diving is the mode of doing research underwater, different from recreational diving. The marine scientist descends into the water with a purpose of completing tasks before the air runs out.
We use several tools for measuring and recording as much information as possible. These allow us to do post-diving analysis of imagery, water samples, genetic testing and a multitude of assessments.
The students of the dive club are encouraged to experience a tiny snippet by using tools such as underwater cameras, writing slates and measuring tapes to collect and record information.
[caption id="attachment_1066767" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Scuba training by Frontier Divers, Tobago. - Photo courtesy ASJA Boys Dive Club[/caption]
Challenges included trying to communicate with each other on who was doing what during the dive, anticipating the next dive. Soon, roles were established, and the boys were able to successfully survey a section of the coral reefs.
The ASJA Boys' Dive Club was established in 2016, founded by the club co-ordinator, and now school principal, Mr Faeid Ali, with a goal of building environmental awareness of our islands and the marine environment.
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