If you love turtles, Bunaken is for you. At one point in time I had seven turtles in my field of vision. The turtles here are so relaxed and inquisitive they routinely swim by you just to have a look. As a keen underwater photographer I love photographing macro subjects but Bunaken is best known for its big walls, often attracting sharks and turtles, and it really lives up to its reputation. The corals and marine life completely cover the walls as far as the eye can see, red tooth triggerfish and butterfly fish crowd many of the dive sites but the star of the show for most people will be the turtle.

Last week I began my Divemaster internship at Two Fish Bunaken. So far the experience has been everything I had expected and more. My Instructor Colin began with an orientation and explained how the PADI Divemaster course worked. When I met Colin I knew I had made a good decision about where to take my divemaster course. The first chapter of the DM book explains how dive professionals are role models for recreational divers. When I started training with Colin I realized how true this statement was.

When I dove with Colin I watched him work with various open water students. I realized that he performed textbook demonstration skills in every aspect of diving every time he dove even if students were not watching him. I learned a lot just from watching him dive. I cleaned up some of the sloppy dive habits I had developed, realizing that less experienced divers might be watching and learning from me.

When we performed one on one training Colin was very clear when teaching me how to demonstrate the skills and patient with me when I was having difficulty with a particular skill. The course itself was nicely paced. I had instruction several times a day and still had time to do one or two fun dives.

As I prepare to leave to my next location Lembeh, to continue my DM training, I am excited for new experiences but also sad to be leaving a place with great diving; staff and guests that had begun to feel like family and a very comfortable atmosphere. The experience was very enjoyable and I learned about aspects of diving that will make me a more proficient diver and hopefully a better role model for less experienced divers.

Words And Photo By: Sunman Rowe – DMT