Popular TV shows such as National Geographic offer some insight into the underwater world. Still, there are parts of the ocean that have not been explored. New species are uncovered from time to time. MarineBio.org, comments that “we know that from bacteria to plankton to the blue whale, life in the ocean greatly affects life on land, yet we know very little about the ocean, [at] least 80% is yet to be explored” (from "The Ocean" page of MarineBio.org website).
Diving is one of the ways that people can take a closer look at the ocean. Morne Le Grange, who lives in Cape Town, shares his experiences as a diving teacher and instructor.
Diving for a Work-Life Balance
Le Grange is a Project Manager for Metropolitan Health Group, one of the largest administrators in the open and closed medical schemes industry in South Africa. The role requires extensive interaction among stakeholders, ensuring that business areas are actively involved in the life cycle of projects.
“There is always something new to learn and you build your experience and knowledge of our industry at an exponential level,” says Le Grange. Given the stress associated with his job, Le Grange often takes to the sea to relax. "Diving is the single most relaxing activity in the world; when you are under the water, you enter another world … it is just you, tranquility and your peaceful thoughts,” he says.
Accreditation Available to Divers
When Le Grange started diving, he knew that it would be an important part of his life. Surfers always seem to return to the sea, whether it’s for the thrill of riding big waves or being in the open ocean. As a diver, Le Grange is no exception. “It did not take long for me to realize that just an open water certificate will not do." Diving became an important part of his life.
He admits that getting accredited for what he does was half the attraction. Le Grange, therefore achieved a number of endorsements. His certificates include an advanced open water, blacktip shark diver, deep diver, tiger shark diver, and master scuba diver.
How to Become an Accredited Diver
Besides being an experienced diver, Le Grange is also a teacher and instructor. As a recognized instructor, he is required to have, among others, certificates for EFR (Emergency First Response), coral reef conservation specialty, and digital underwater photography specialty.
It was not an easy task to earn these official document. “You have to write international exams on the physics of diving, the biology of the human body as well as on all equipment available in diving [around] the world,” says Le Grange.
Teaching Diving
After diving and working as an instructor over weekends at Calypso, located at the uShaka Marine World in Durban, South Africa, Le Grange moved to Cape Town where he joined friends on charter boats for shark diving, without the cage. “I started teaching again and my first Cape Town student qualified on 12 February 2011. I am diving every weekend now, either for fun or teaching, weather permitting.”
After teaching a couple of students, Le Grange saw how fulfilling this experience was, teaching and qualifying other people to experience a part of the planet where many would never explore in their lifetime.
Tips on Diving in Cape Town
Le Grange reckons that all over the Cape Peninsula is a good place to dive. Most of the dives take place at Pyramid Rock, about a kilometer from the naval village of Simon’s Town, in the Western Cape.
“This is where the 7-gill sharks can be found. The 7-gill sharks have never been observed close to shore until about three years ago when they migrated from the deep into waters of roughly 10 m deep and about 50 m from shore,” says Le Grange.
The ocean should be treated in an ecologically sensitive manner, to ensure that future generations can also experience what we now enjoy.
Read more about shark diving on Sharkexplorers.com
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