7 Best Dive Specialties To Beat The Winter Blues

December 8, 2021 True to the Blue Oceans motto "Education and training are the first steps", SSI has developed a range of ecology dive specialties to enhance your ocean knowledge for even better dives!  These dive specialties are perfect for getting through the long winter when diving might be scarce, as they are pure theory programs. Beat the winter blues today and make sure you get your ocean fix. Read on to find out more.

Enhance your dives with SSI Ecology dive specialties.

Diving is a fascinating sport that catapults us into a completely different world filled with unimaginable wonders. But everything new to us is also mostly unknown. Many divers do not know much about the underwater ecosystems they explore or the different marine life they encounter. That lack of knowledge can cause coral reef damage or injury due to inappropriate behaviors. It also limits how much you can get out of diving. Imagine how amazing your dives would be if you knew more about the world’s underwater environments! By understanding the oceans and wealth of life within them, you can enhance your dives in many ways:

• Learn how to interact safely with different animals such as sharks and manta rays.

• Discover how important different ecosystems are for ocean health.

• Learn how to identify different types of fish for awesome logbook entries.

• Become a skilled underwater naturalist for truly epic dives.

• Share your knowledge with your family and learn together from the comfort of your home. 

CLICK HERE TO BROWSE SSI’S ECOLOGY SPECIALTY PROGRAMS.

Top 7 ecology dive specialties to beat the winter blues.

1. Shark Ecology.

Many people fear sharks, but these awe-inspiring fish are vital for healthy oceans and are truly amazing to dive with. After completing the SSI Shark Ecology program, you will understand:

• The relationship between sharks and humans is complex because it involves fear and misconceptions. Education about sharks helps to foster a more balanced understanding.

• Sharks are fish and have specific characteristics, including well-developed sensory systems that make them perfectly designed for life in the oceans.

• Sharks live around the globe and play an important role in ocean health.

• The history of sharks began approximately 400 million years ago and continues through to the present day.

LOVE SHARK DIVING? EXPLORE SOUTH AFRICA’S WESTERN CAPE.

2. Sea Turtle Ecology.

Graceful in the water, sea turtles glide through the ocean with the greatest of ease and swim to far-away beaches to ensure the continuation of their species. Get started with the SSI Sea Turtle Ecology program to:

• Investigate the history of these marine reptiles, both natural and anthropogenic threats to their survival, reproduction, and how they cope with the challenges they face.

• Explore all seven living sea turtle species and learn how to identify them.

• Learn how sea turtles are threatened by both natural and man-made sources, and how you can help protect these endangered animals.

READ MORE: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BEING AN ECO-DIVER.

3. Marine Ecology.

The oceans are a vast, dynamic and integral part of our world. Are you fascinated with the oceans and want to learn more about these incredible environments you are diving in? Through the SSI Marine Ecology program, you will discover that:

• The global ocean is made up of many different ecosystems that have a wide range of defining characteristics.

• Life in the oceans has evolved into an incredible diversity of organisms that inhabit different ecosystems.

• Physical components of our oceans, like the characteristics of water, temperature, salinity, and movement, and how they interconnect as living systems.

• The many natural and human impacts on our ocean.

• How humans can influence the health, management, and recovery of the global ocean.

4. Manta & Ray Ecology.

Diving with mantas, meeting curious stingrays or being surrounded by Mobula rays is an experience divers dream of. Discover why divers love rays – start the Manta & Ray Ecology program today! In this program:

• You will explore what makes a ray a ray!

• Distinguish how rays differ from sharks.

• Locate where rays live around the globe.

• Discover what they eat.

• Know how to identify one ray from the next.

• Learn how to safely interact with rays during your dives.

DISCOVER WHERE IN THE WORLD TO GO DIVING WITH RAYS.

5. Fish Identification.

You are traveling to an exotic tropical island, or you just finished watching a great movie featuring amazing fish. Wouldn’t it be great to know what they are and how they are named? In the Fish Identification course, you will develop the knowledge and ability to recognize and identify common families of Caribbean, Indo-Pacific, and Red Sea reef fish.

6. Coral Identification.

Coral reefs are vital for healthy oceans, and they are stunning to dive among – especially when you know more about these fascinating ecosystems. The SSI Coral Identification program provides all that you need to identify common families of coral species. It is hard to believe that corals are something more than simple underwater rock formations. They are in fact living animals, and breed, eat, and die! READ MORE: 10 OF THE BEST CORAL REEFS IN THE WORLD.

7. Blue Oceans.

Last but not least, we want everyone to be aware of the environmental problems our oceans are suffering each day! This is one of the most important of our dive specialties. The SSI Blue Oceans movement supports the conservation goal and the sustainable use of aquatic environments, including oceans, seas, coasts, waterways and their magnificent diversity of plant and animal species. Lack of training, carelessness, negligence, and ignorance by humans can cause great damage to the oceans. In the free Blue Oceans program, SSI explains the importance of ocean conservation and how you can help save our oceans with simple changes at home. BE PART OF THE MOVEMENT! JOIN SSI BLUE OCEANS NOW.