The Next Generation of Ocean Guardians

Northfields School in Mauritius has adopted the idea of incorporating the ocean into its Extracurricular Activities. Ocean Spirit has partnered with headmaster Lee Wilson to bring this vision to life. Spearheaded by Debora del Pizzo, assisted by Nando Nagain and Bernard Flore, this initiative has already sparked enthusiasm among the students at the school.

Northfields Junior Primary preparing to become Junior Ocean Guardians

The collaboration between PADI Open Water and Greenfins has led to a 10-week program, with sessions held once a week for 2 hours each.

Participants will earn their PADI Junior Open Water Diver certification as the core component of the program. They will participate in a total of six dives:

• Four PADI certification dives,

• Two additional eco-focused fun dives (such as a turtle dive and a citizen-science dive).

• Each week also includes an eco-session that aligns with Green Fins and Mauritius marine ecology.

• The program integrates practical scuba training, conservation education, and hands-on field experiences.

This ECA is intentionally designed to be much more than a standard PADI diving

course.

Students will gain:

PADI Junior Open Water certification

 Six total dives, including specialised eco-dives

 10 conservation lessons covering reef ecology, coral ID, fish ID, mangroves,

restoration, citizen science, and more

 A mangrove boat trip

 A coral restoration / coral nursery visit

 Exposure to Mauritius’ unique ecosystems (reef, lagoon, mangroves, turtles)

 Engagement with Reef Conservation Mauritius (guest marine biologist)

 An understanding of Green Fins environmental standards

 Introductions to sustainable tourism and community benefit

 Weekly outputs such as badges, certificates, observation logs, or media

pieces

The program is designed to be hands-on, exciting, educational, and aligned with

Northfields’ eco-school identity.

10-Week Curriculum (PADI + Conservation)

WEEK 1 - DSD + Green Fins Essentials (Dive Week)

Students output: DSD certificate

WEEK 2 - Fish Identification (Dive Week)

Classroom: Basic herbivore/predator groups

Lagoon: Confined-water progression

Dive: PADI Open Water Dive 2

Output: Fish ID badge

Easy to identify this one- The Barracuda spotted by students on their Discover Scuba Dive

WEEK 3 - Reef AND Lagoon Ecology Basics (Non-Dive Week)

Classroom: Why Mauritius has lagoons, reef formation, why the lagoon looks

“empty”

Lagoon: Eco-observation session (What species live here? Why less coral?)

Output: Lagoon Ecology worksheet

WEEK 4 - Coral Identification (Dive Week)

Classroom: Hard vs soft corals, simple ID shapes

Lagoon: Confined-water progression

Dive: PADI Open Water Dive 3

Output: Coral ID badge

WEEK 5 - Mangrove Ecosystems (Boat Trip) (Non-Dive Week)

Classroom: Why mangroves protect coastlines & reefs

Field Trip: Boat trip into mangroves + simple data logging

Output: Mangrove Explorer certificate

WEEK 6 - Human Impacts on the Ocean (Dive Week)

Classroom: Plastics, sediment, touching coral, anchors, tourism

Lagoon: Confined-water progression

Dive: PADI Open Water Dive 4 (Certification Dive)

Output: Human Impact reflection card

Students now become Junior PADI Open Water Divers

WEEK 7 - Coral Restoration & Reef Recovery (Non-Dive Week)

Classroom: How nurseries work, what coral fragments are, threats to recovery

Field Trip / Visit: Coral nursery or Reef Conservation lab session

Output: Coral Restoration observer badge

WEEK 8 - Turtle Ecology & Identification (Dive Week - Fun Dive)

Classroom: Turtle species, behaviour, individual ID (face scutes)

Lagoon: Quick skills refresh

Dive: Turtle-focused fun dive (no PADI skills required)

Output: Turtle ID badge

WEEK 9 - Sustainable Tourism & Community Benefit (Non-Dive Week)

Classroom: Why buying local matters, how dive tourism supports communities

Lagoon: Optional eco-activity (counting species, debris logging)

Output: Community Impact badge

WEEK 10 - Marine Citizen Science (Dive Week - Fun Dive)

Classroom: How to log data, debris surveys, simple species counts

Lagoon: Very short review

Dive: Citizen-science dive (photo logging, species tally)

Output: Junior Citizen Scientist certificate

RESULT: A confident informed Junior Edition Ocean Guardian

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