The Project AWARE Fish Identification Course

Have you ever been scuba diving and asked yourself, "What was that?"   The PADI Project AWARE Fish Identification Specialty course provides you with the fish identification basics so that next time, you know the answer.

The Fun Part

You’ll find you enjoy your dives even more when you recognize the creatures that you see. The fun part about this course is you can use the skills you learn on every scuba diving vacation because once you learn the main fish families and characteristics it will help you decipher the species you see all over the world.

For example, a butterfly fish in the Caribbean has a similar shape to a butterfly fish in Southeast Asia, but their colors and markings maybe wildly different. If you know what fish family it belongs to, it becomes much easier to look up the local name or at least be able to intelligently ask the local scuba instructor what you saw. That works better than asking about a "yellow thingy with a funny tail fin."

 

What You Learn

During two dives you gain hands-on (okay, eyes-on) experience in looking for and identifying the fascinating fish you see underwater. You’ll learn :

• How to identify characteristics of local fish families and species
• Fish survey techniques and strategies
• How to practice fish identification dive planning, organization and procedures

Prerequisites

• Divers must be at least 10 years old
• Jr. Open Water Diver or Qualifying rating from another training organisation
• AWARE Our World Underwater Manual. Click HERE to download your FREE copy

The Gear You'll Need

A basic set of scuba equipment and dive regulator, we can provide you this if you do not have your own gear, we will also be happy to help you purchase a set from a local supplier if you wish.

Your Certification Card

We will help you fill out the Personal Identification Card to be sent to PADI along with a passport photograph. We will also issue you with a temporary card that is valid for 90 days. That should be plenty of time to receive your shiny new certification card from PADI.

If you wish, at the time of sending the PIC, you can also request a PADI Project Aware emblem on your card, by making a small donation to this organisation.

Your Next Adventure

While you’re learning about fish, you’ll probably also be curious about the different types of coral and want to check out the Coral Reef Conservationist course.

As you learn about fish survey techniques you may also want to work on a conservation project as part of your PADI National Geographic Diver certification.

You may also want to brush up on your underwater photography skills so that you can document and capture images of the species you’re encountering.