TRAVEL continued
just time to enjoy the reef properly. We are also the only operator offering regular night dives at the Great White Wall. GIL: Tell us more about your sustainability successes. MW: We recently installed a solar-powered desalination unit at our neighbouring Ucunivatu Primary School along Viani Bay to provide safe, reliable drinking water. It was
Our Scholarship Program guides local youth to become divers or PADI dive professionals. We also design conservation-focused holidays that combine coral restoration, COTS (Crown-of-Thorns) removal missions when needed, Project Aware, and PADI Freediving or scuba diving programs. Finally, my co-owner, Jone Waitaiti, also operates Fiji Sea S a l t
funded by the German Federal For- eign Office through the Fiji Embassy in Suva, and implemented by a joint effort by our dive team and the school community. With no roads and an island microclimate that can result in several months without rain, this reasonably priced system was an ideal blueprint for areas like ours and could work for other remote communities. The funding included a 2.5kW solar system, water tanks, a backup gen- erator, and supporting equipment. We are pleased to have contributed our technical expertise and our local network to this project. Our col- laboration with the German Embassy and the community showed once again how much can be achieved when everyone works together. GIL: How does it filter the seawater?
<https://www.fijitradeexpo.com/fi- jian-companies/house-of-salt>, a small-scale artisanal production unit creating sea salt and coconut-based products with local communities. GIL: With all this, it sounds like Dive Academy Fiji would be a per- fect partner for our Blue Friday initiative. MW: Yes, I was excited to read about it on our first call, and I would love to start participating this fall. Besides the projects listed above, our Coral and Clam Nursery was designed primarily as an educational and demonstration site for the local community and our guests, while a long-standing tabu (locally protected) reef area now functions as a fish nursery for the bay. We also schedule
Fiji’s Famous Great White Wall
beach clean-ups here and on Taveuni. Twice per year, we even sponsor a free dog spaying and neutering campaign with a local charity. GIL: Finally, it sounds like you’re a dreamer who makes things happen. What are your plans for the future? MW: We have a “wish list” that we discuss quarterly. We’re currently taking baby steps towards attaining each rung of that ladder. For example, we’d love to hire a marine scientist, extend our nurseries with permanent coral gardeners, bring in more representatives from neighbouring villages, create more scholarships, and much more. GIL: How do our readers get in touch with you? MW: Our email is info@diveacademyfiji.com, and our
MW: The newly installed system treats seawater through pre-filtration and reverse osmosis powered by solar energy, which filters up to 140 litres per hour, enough for 52 students, four teachers, and a kindergarten group. The clean water is stored in dedicated tanks and distributed to classroom taps and teachers’ quarters, while the existing well continues to supply toilets and laundry facilities. Best of all, because it is plug-and-play, it provides a scalable model for other isolated coastal schools. GIL: What other programs do you have that are no- table? MW: We believe in education to protect our environment. That’s why our initiatives are designed to increase our knowl- edge for a sustainable relationship with ocean life. In 2019, the community agreed to protect a reef here in the bay, where we then started our Coral and Giant Clam Restoration Project <https://www.diveacademyfiji.com/marine-conser- vation>.
website is www.diveacademyfiji.com GIL: Thank you again, Marina. MW: It was my pleasure.
To find out more ways that you can “Blue” your business and make more “Green”, please contact me today: gil@zeimer.com.
email Gil
FORTY-FIVE | SCUBA DIVING INDUSTRY
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker