REEF is proud to partner with over 130 dive shops, dive clubs, individuals, and other organizations as REEF Field Stations
This month we feature Sea Saba, a top-notch dive operator located on a small Caribbean island devoid of beaches, but abundant in spectacular dive sites! The island of Saba is known for its unspoiled natural beauty and lack of development- the island has fewer than 2,000 residents. Dive shop owners, Lynn and John, have made scuba diving, travel, and photography their life for well over 2 decades. Some time ago, while exploring a rainforest in Peru with an exceptionally knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide, Lynn realized that there aren’t enough scuba guides in the industry who are highly knowledgeable about the marine life and habitats they work in. To quote her, “Certainly professional and safety standards are important but sadly, far too many dive guides are actually poor guides.”
Working with the REEF program is one great tool utilized by Sea Saba to continue to improve the knowledge base of their dive instructors. Dive staff members are frequently reminded that their core function is to be great guides, and newly hired dive staff are required to become REEF Level 3 surveyors within 60 days! “It’s a win/win/win. We’re making a concerted effort to ensure a great dive experience is had by all our visitors but also by our staff. If we can engage each guide to be more aware and knowledgeable and share this information with our diving guests, dive guides avoid burnout. The enthusiasm is contagious.” says Lynn.
Sea Saba understands and shares REEF’s mission to educate, enlist, and engage divers in marine conservation efforts. In Lynn’s words, “Fish identification skills are a stepping stone in understanding our underwater environment. By sharing knowledge, we not only create better surface interval conversations, we can hope each diver is also an advocate to use what power he/she has to protect this realm: the coral, the fish, the reef, the ocean…our planet.”
Sea Saba hosted the first REEF Field Survey of the year in March and they made sure our trip season got off to a great start - participants confirmed over 150 species sightings during the week, including rare finds such as yellowcheek basslets, punk blennies, and a hammerhead shark! Our team of ten was well taken care of by the excellent divemasters and staff of Sea Saba, many of whom are active surveyors throughout the Saba Marine Park surrounding this petite island. The natural beauty of Saba was the perfect setting for our diving (and hiking) adventure.