Blog – December 2010

Congratulations to Camel’s latest PADI Instructor Development Course (IDC) candidates on achieving a 100% success rate in their Instructor exams this December. Coming from a wide range of ages, backgrounds and experience levels, Angela, Nina, Hesham, Sue, Willem-Jan, John, Ian, James, and Mark developed an excellent team spirit during the course. They were assisted by PADI Staff Instructors Omar and Johan, with Course Directors Bianca and Teo providing their usual expert guidance. After a day’s break to recover from the post instructor exam party, the team completed PADI Specialty Instructor courses including Nitrox, Deep, Drift, Fish Identification and Digital Underwater Photography. IDCs run five times during 2011, with the next one starting on 9 February. Contact us if you would like to chat with Teo or Bianca about the course.

On 14 December our instructor and Eco Tribe leader Cath Bates gave four lessons about sharks to local kids aged 6 to 18 years at Sharm French School. Cath talked about shark biology, behaviour, species and conservation in an interactive way using props to help the children understand senses of sharks, like smell and touch. The kids also watched a short video about sharks and looked at photos by Camel’s staff and guests in Sharm El Sheikh’s Red Sea of different species of sharks. The older students also learned about finning issues, overfishing and bycatch, as well as the factors which may create aggressive behaviour. The main focus of the day was conservation and the importance of the role of the apex predator in the ocean. "It was such a positive day with lots of questions and activities. About time that sharks had some good press! If we lose them, we lose the health of our oceans" Cath commented.

Award-winning underwater photographer, marine biologist and magazine correspondent Alex Mustard gave a presentation in Camel Bar on Monday 29 November after a week of diving with us in Naama Bay. He chose Camel Dive Club to test the new Nikon D7000 camera and Nauticam housing, the only one available currently in the world. Alex also used Glowdive filters to shoot the fluorescence emitted by the corals which can be seen with a UV torch. During his presentation he showed some results of the tests as well as his best underwater shots explaining how to get excellent results in underwater photography. Alex’s reviews of camera test will be published soon at UwP and Wetpixel.