Name: Kathleen Russell, from Al Mahara Diving Center
Activity: Scuba Diving, Kayaking, underwater videoing
Nationality: Canadian
What’s your passion?
Teaching people to scuba dive, and sharing the beautiful underwater environment with others.
Favorite spot route?
Favorite spot underwater diving in the coral areas like Al Dhabiyah in Abu Dhabi. We’re exploring further west and there’s some amazing diving sites to share. Kayaking in the Eastern mangroves and around Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
Tell us about what you’ve been up to over the last couple of months
Being part of the Emirates Diving Association Abu Dhabi Committee Coordinator, we conducted Reef Check Training for divers who wanted to participate in the international Reef Check program to monitor and report the health of the coral and marine life in this area. We will continue to conduct reef check on a monthly basis with trained Reef Check divers.
I went to Puntacana in Dominican Republic last month for two weeks to attend the PADI Course Director Training. This was an incredible experience to be trained by the top trainers of PADI Worldwide and to meet other candidates from all around the world. It was definitely a moment we say “a significant emotional experience.” As a PADI Course Director I would love to train more scuba instructors in this region including Arabic female instructors.
Also taking groups of paddlers through some of the mangrove areas in Abu Dhabi and sharing with them the natural beauty and why we need to protect our marine environment. As we kayaked I learned a few more species of birds in Abu Dhabi aside from flamingos, cormorants, herons, egrets and terns.
Lately, we’ve been trying to get people to sign the Project Aware Protect the Shark petition to ban shark hunting in the EU. And we will be welcoming the Project Aware ambassador “Finley” to the UAE. Finley and his buddy Fin are on a mission to spread the word that sharks need our protection before it’s too late. The ambassadors are traveling the globe to spread their messages and we are looking forward to welcoming Finley to the UAE as he makes his way from Koh Tao, Thailand.
I ‘m also starting a fun underwater adventure called dive caching like geocaching but we make it for divers and snorkelers.
What would you recommend to our readers?
Go and explore (where permitted) and get to know your natural environment in the UAE. There’s desert, mangroves, sea and mountain environments to experience. Try a new sport to get yourself into this amazing environment and learn about the flora and fauna so you will appreciate them more and share it with a friend or two. But always remember safety is first so stay hydrated and get proper training before seeking out new adventures.
