Reef specialist program

Become an expert

This course is designed for ocean lovers that have a strong curiosity and passion for coral reef ecosystems and for whom jumping into the water every day to learn more about them and how to protect them, seems like the definition of a good time ! 3 to 4 weeks available? Join us scuba diving everyday, learning to recognize & understand critters and their interactions on the reef while gaining precious ecology and conservation skills and knowledge.

What will I learn?

The course starts from a broad and general overview of environmental conservation before slowly diving into more specialized trainings. Participants will obtain in depth knowledge about coral reef health and each week specialize into a new topics from corals to fish to gather broad and specialized skills & insights on reef ecosystems and species identification. Not only will you tremendously develop your spotting skills, understanding and species identification skills but by being taught by a team of ecologists and researcher, you will also gain precious input into marine conservation work and what needs to be done to preserve the majestic biodiversity of the Philippines.

Introduction week

Daily ecology lectures by conservationist to get introduced to the biodiversity of the Philippines
Learn about coral reefs, reef fish, corals, but as well mangroves and rainforests
Daily field excursions in nature to apply knowledge and practice identification
6 guided scuba dives to develop identification skills of reef organisms
Mangroves and forest excursion
Discover Siquijor, its culture and secret spots.

Fish specialty week

Daily lectures and 7 guided scuba dives to develop skills and knowledge about Fish family identification and understanding of their roles and functions in the marine food web
from broad to very specialized to develop your own skills in spotting & precise identification
Introduction to key species identification
Conservation skills building along with lectures about threats and conservation of reef fish

Coral specialty week

Daily ecology and conservation lectures on corals, from broad to more specialized
7 guided scuba dives with an instructor for identification skills of marine organisms to complement the morning lectures
Themes explored: Coral anatomy / Coral growth forms / Types of corals / Taxonomy / Other substrate lifeforms / Threats to corals (predation / outbreaks / bleaching / diseases), etc.
Conservation skills building

Add a 4th week to assist research & conservation work

Course requirements

The program is for certified scuba diver that fits these requirements:

An advanced open water certification (PADI, SSI, RAID, CMAS, etc.) is required*.
and a minimum of 30 dives including at least one this year OR a buoyancy refresher training (2 dives) with CRCP done this year*.
Good general fitness allowing to dive 4 days / week, carry your own gear (we are shore diving), swim comfortably with or without scuba gear.

* (You do not fit the requirements? No worries, have a look in the scuba training section, or just contact us for advices.)

Why these requirements?

During the course, you will be learning about small fragile marine organisms and be needing to come very close from them. For your safety (some may sting) and theirs, it is important that you master good buoyancy control and precision of your movements in the water before we do so. This will also make scuba diving much more efficient and enjoyable for you. If you need, we are happy to provide such training ahead of the program.

Timelines

3 or 4 weeks.

This program is for ocean lovers that want to gather a holistic picture of reef ecosystem and develop their skills in spotting and marine species identification. The program length is 3 weeks, but we commonly recommend to add an extra week to put your new skills to test and get exposure on CRCP's scientific and marine conservation work.

Costs & inclusions

This course's fee is 32,000 PHP per week for 3 or 4 weeks.

(Are you Filipino? You may avail an automatic 20% discount on our program)

Inclusions:

All dive gear rental
Marine environmental fee costs
Daily ecology and conservation lectures
Daily guided teaching dives 4 days per week (week-ends are off, wednesday are dry theory)
Breakfast and lunch are included during week days with vegetarian diet
Basic accommodation (shared type) is included
Scuba diving advanced buoyancy skills training with instructor
1 week program included
Free pick up and transfer from siquijor port
CRCP T-shirt

Not included:

Dinner (your accommodation is near many restaurants with many options from 150php meal to western options)
Activities and meals during week-ends (but of course, your accommodation is)

Interested? contact us

Get in touch!

LEARNWITHCRCP