Training for Park Rangers – Advance SCUBA Diving
As part of the ongoing project “Enhancement of resource management capacity within the Tobago Cays Marine Park” funded by the SVG Conservation Fund, four (4) of our park rangers were recently trained in Advance SCUBA Diving.
The training courses, both classroom and in-water, were conducted between the period 5th – 16th October by instructor Brad Fagan under Grenadines Dive, a certified training center located on Union Island.
Our park rangers Keithron Deroche, Verronie Pope and D’Vern Allen are all now PADI Certified Advanced Open Water Divers and having met all the PADI standards, received their PADI Certification Card.
Our senior park ranger, Benjamin Wilson, completed the PADI Rescue Diver course, he excelled at both the classroom and in-water components and scored 90% in his final examinations.
Recently under the project, we procured four (4) sets of dive equipment, critical safety and emergency equipment that will be used by our divers. The park rangers are now well equipped to conduct continuous biophysical monitoring at the park, training in biophysical monitoring under the project will begin shortly.
The overall goal of this project is to enhance the institutional capacity of the TCMP to effectively fulfill its mandate “To protect and conserve the resources of the Tobago Cays”.