All
info you need to know about Koh Tao - Koh Nangyuan - Koh Phangan
- Koh Samui.
Eco
Koh Tao
Koh
Tao, Thailand is at the forefront of scuba diving in
South East Asia with thousands of people visiting this
island paradise every year to take advantage of the
world famous dive sites. As a result the dive sites
of Koh Tao have provided a wonderful amphitheatre for
the training of millions of divers, but for how much
longer.
Eco
Koh Tao specialises in preparing and instructing divers
in the intricacies of the underwater environment. By
providing educational expertise in marine ecology &
ecosystems Eco koh Tao promotes employment opportunities
for professional aspirants through extensive Gap Year
programs and our Internship positions.
In
this age where the environment is changing so rapidly,
dive professionals with Ecological expertise will be
in increasing demand worldwide. So join us for a life
changing experience. Surf these pages and we’re sure
you’ll find something to suite your desires here.
Eco
Koh Tao
started as an initiative to bring about a greater awareness
regarding the environmental impacts of the diving industry
as a whole, with the hope of initiating changes for
its ongoing preservation and sustainable management.
Our
primary aim is to learn about & understand the problems
facing Koh Tao's marine resources and endeavour to provide
adequate solutions. first we needed to inform and educate
the divers of Koh Tao.
Established
in June 2007 Eco Koh Tao is the first organisation to
focus solely on specialty courses devoted to a greater
understanding of the marine ecosystems & the surrounding
environment.
We
thought this project required a dedicated team of environmentally
minded divers with the experience, know how & passion
to really make it work. Drawing on our enormous pool
of knowledge our courses and volunteer programs are
supported by worldwide diving giant PADI, Project Aware,
as well as Reef Check, a California based organisation
supporting a global coral reef monitoring program. In
addtion we have added Thailand's Green Fins to our list
of partner organisations. And not forgeting our local
partners, Marine Conservaion Koh Tao with whom a great
deal of our environmental activities are being co-ordinated.
Matt
Bolton, PADI Course Director &
Reef Check Instructor
Matt
Bolton has been living & working on Koh
Tao since 1998 and has seen the changes in the
local environment during that time, some of it
for the better & some of it not so. Matt is
a PADI Course Director and introducing hundreds
of new instructors to the profession. As one of
Koh Tao's premier course directors Matt's involvement
in Eco Koh Tao is important for the future of
Koh Tao and reefs worldwide. He is passionate
about the environement and its long term survival.
He isn't locally known as Big Eco Matt for nothing
and as a Reef Check Instructor he is planning
to make sure everyone else gets involved too.
Nathan
Cook is our resident environmentalist and
the driving force behind the groundwork of Eco
Koh Tao. Nath is a PADI IDC Staff Instructor and
has been teaching since 2005.His committment to
the waters surrounding Koh Tao is unsurpassed
and as a Reef Check Intsructor he is taking that
commitment further bringing more & more students
into the environemental realm.
Justin
Mayers is a PADI Master instructor and Reef
Check Instructor and has been instrumental in
anything that involves looking after the place
he lives & works. From beach & dive site
clean ups to regular Reef Check Courses and other
PADI specialties he is involved in everything.
He is a passinate individual always ready with
a smile and laugh but serious and committed where
it matters.
Reef
Check Marine Ecology Courses and Survey Instruction
Learn
About the Marine Environment. Contribute to its
conservation.
Discover
Reef Check - An introduction to Reef Ecology, surveying
& data collection
Price:
3,000 Th. Baht
1 Day
Reef
Check Ecodiver Course - Receive specialised instruction
into the mechanics of reef ecology and learn how
to survey & collect data from reefs worldwide.
Price:
12,900 Th. Baht
4 days
PADI
Courses
Project
AWARE Specialty Course
The Project AWARE specialty course is designed to familiarize
divers and non-divers with the plight of worldwide ecosystems
& what we can do to help protect aquatic resources.
This one day course includes two dives (or two snorkeling
sites) to explore the local environment paying particular
interest to the plight of local environmental concerns.
*PADI
Materials Included: PADI AWARE: Our World Our Water
Specialty Manual
*Brochure - Ten Ways Divers Can Protect the Underwater
Environment
*Brochure - Go Eco
*Brochure - Protect the Living Reef
*Coralwatch Coral Health Chart
Price: 3,900 Th.baht
AWARE
Coral Reef Conservation
The coral reef conservation specialty course is designed
to educate divers and non-divers to the plight of the
worlds coral reefs. The course develops an inimate understanding
of the reef ecosystem and why it is so vital for its
conservation. Using Coralwatch, a PADI initiative in
conjunction with Queensland University, AUS, you will
contribute directly to the conservation of local reefs.
*PADI
Materials Included: PADI AWARE: Our World Our Water
Specialty Manual
*Brochure - Ten Ways Divers Can Protect the Underwater
Environment
*Brochure - Go Eco
*Brochure - Protect the Living Reef
*Coralwatch Coral Health Chart
Price:
3,900 Th.Baht (2 Dives/Snorkel)
PROJECT
AWARE FISH IDENTIFICATION SPECIALTY COURSE
On a dive around Koh Tao you can see hundreds of fish.
This two dive specialty is designed to enable you to
identify a wide variety of fish throughout different
diving environments.
We
provide you with the tools to develop an intimate knowledge
and awareness of the aquatic animals with which we share
the underwater world. This course combines ideally with
Underwater Photography and Project Aware specialties.
Price: 4,400 Th.Baht (2 Dives)
Price: 3,000 Th.Baht (1 Dives)
UNDERWATER
NATURALIST SPECIALTY COURSE
This Specialty course is designed to create a substantial
understanding of the aquatic ecosystem. We also endeavor
to develop an awareness of the intricate balance of
life within reef systems, to evoke a sense of responsibility
and to expand your knowledge of aquatic life.
Price: 4,400 Th.Baht (2 Dives)
Price: 3,000 Th.Baht (1 Dives)
Coralwatch
Worldwide aquatic ecosystems are in constant decline
and without detailed information into their current
health nothing can be done to preserve them. PADI’s
Coralwatch program is a very simple coral reef monitoring
system which can be undertaken by anyone our for a dive.
Learn about the local environment whilst making a valuable
contribution to science.
Program
is free in conjunction with fun dives at resort.
PADI
Courses
Reef
Check Ecodiver Course
Coral Reefs in Crisis - You can make the Difference!
Reefcheck
is both a methodology (coral reef monitoring, data recording
and submission) and an organisation. Reef Check has
introduced two courses which concerned divers can take:
Ecodiver & Discover Ecodiver.
The
Discover Ecodiver program introduces divers to the world
of coral reef monitoring and data recording. The 1-day
program allows divers to experience the dynamics of
reef monitoring and provides a foundation for the full
Ecodiver Certification course.
It
will show you the aquatic environment in an entirely
different light. We’ll also introduce you to PADI’s
Coralwatch Program in conjunction with Queensland University,
Australia.
Price:
3000 thb
REEF
CHECK ECODIVER COURSE
The
ECODIVER course will open your eyes to the underwater
world and you will see it in a whole different light.
Following completion of this 4-day course you will be
certified to join surveys and survey teams around the
globe and submit data to their Team scientists who will
then forward that data to Reef Check as part of their
worldwide database.
Dual
Certification results from the PADI Project Aware Specialty
Course to introduce divers to the plight of worldwide
aquatic ecosystems and to describe what they can do
to help protect them. In addition you’ll receive instruction
in Project Aware’s Coralwatch Program in conjunction
with Queensland University, Australia.
The
ECO diver course is a 4 day program that allows divers
to participate in Reefcheck surveys and submit data
to Reefcheck scientists in preparation for submission
to the Reefcheck Database. this data can be accessed
by any concerned individual although it is mostly used
by national governments & large organisations like
the UN or EU.
Price:
12,900 thb
Course
Program & Schedule:
DAY
ONE CLASSROOM
- Registration
- Ecodiver IntroductionPowerpoint Presentation
- Ecodiver Methods DVD WATER
- Buoyancy Practice (As required)
- ID Practice: Fish, Inverterbrate, Substrate
- Coralwatch Introduction
DAY TWO
CLASSROOM
- Ecodiver FISH ID Powerpoint Presentation
- Ecodiver Introduction Inverterbrate ID Powerpoint
Presentation
- Ecodiver Introduction Substrate ID Powerpoint Presentation
- Site Selection WATER
- Fish Survey Practice
- Inverterbrate Survey Practice
- Substrate Survey Practice
DAY THREE
CLASSROOM
- Fish ID Photo Test
- Inverterbrate ID Photo Test
- Substrate ID Photo Test WATER
- Full Survey conducted on one of our local dive sites
including survey of Fish, Inverterbrate & Substrate
Survey
DAY FOUR
CLASSROOM
- Data Entry
- Project AWARE specialty course
- Reef Check Ecodiver certification formalities completed
- PADI Project Aware Specialty Course certification
formalities completed
*PADI
Materials Included: PADI AWARE: Our World Our Water
Specialty Manual
*Reef Check materials include: 'Bodyglove" Folder
containing Reefcheck Crew pack including student manual
(CD Rom version)
*Access to a wide range of instuctional & informational
DVD's/Films
*Access to our library of books & referance materials
Price:
ONLY 12,900 Th.baht
MORE
ABOUT Reef Check - Education – Science – Conservation
Reef
Check is an international non-profit organization devoted
to the following goals and objectives:
-
Educate the public and governments about the value of
coral reefs and rocky reef ecosystems and the crisis
facing them
- Create a global network of volunteer teams, trained
and led by scientists, that regularly monitor and report
on reef health using a standard method
- Facilitate collaborative use of reef health information
by community groups, governments, universities and businesses
to design and implement ecologically sound and economically
sustainable solutions
- Stimulate local action to protect remaining pristine
reefs and rehabilitate damaged reefs worldwide especially
through the creation of Marine Protected Areas.
About
Reef Check
The
Reef Check Foundation was founded in 1996 by marine
ecologist, Dr. Gregor Hodgson. The Foundation, based
in Pacific Palisades, California is dedicated to research,
education and conservation with respect to two ecosystems:
tropical coral reefs and California rocky reefs. With
headquarters in Los Angeles and volunteer teams in more
than 90 countries and territories, Reef Check works
to create partnerships among community volunteers, government
agencies, businesses, universities and other non-profits.
Reef Check goals are to: educate the public about the
value of reef ecosystems and the current crisis affecting
marine life; to create a global network of volunteer
teams trained in Reef Check's scientific methods who
regularly monitor and report on reef health; to facilitate
collaboration that produces ecologically sound and economically
sustainable solutions; and to stimulate local community
action to protect remaining pristine reefs and rehabilitate
damaged reefs worldwide.
In
1997, Reef Check conducted the first-ever global survey
of coral reef health that provided scientific confirmation
that our coral reefs were in crisis due to over-fishing,
illegal fishing, and pollution. The results, published
in a scientific journal in 1999, shocked many marine
biologists who had not realized the extent of human
impacts on reefs. In August 2002, Reef Check released
its first five-year report, The Global Coral Reef Crisis
– Trends and Solutions, at the World Summit on Sustainable
Development in Johannesburg, South Africa. Based on
data collected by thousands of Reef Check volunteer
divers in over 80 countries and territories, the report
was the first scientific documentation of the dramatic
worldwide decline in coral reef health over a five year
period. The report concluded that there was virtually
no reef in the world that remained untouched by human
impacts, such as over fishing, pollution and climate
change. Yet the success stories discussed in the report
show that, with proper monitoring, management and protection,
coral reefs can recover. It is up to us.
Since
then, Reef Check's fast-growing network has expanded
throughout all tropical seas, and has played a major
role in efforts to preserve and sustain reef ecosystems.
Reef Check’s approach is to engage partners, especially
businesses in a non-confrontational manner to develop
mutually beneficial solutions especially the creation
of self-funding Marine Protected Areas. In 2005, Reef
Check launched its first temperate reef program in California.
Reef
Check has received international environmental awards
for its work, and is the United Nations' official community-based
reef monitoring program.
Reef
Check carries out its work through three major programs:
1.
EcoAction Program – an education and certification program
for kids to adults who want to learn more about the
ocean and take part in protecting reef ecosystems.
2. Coral Reef Management Program – a coral reef monitoring
and management system that focuses on establishing Marine
Protected Areas to conserve coral reefs while encouraging
sustainable use of surrounding reefs by local residents.
3. Reef Check California – a volunteer monitoring program
for California rocky reefs designed to provide data
for managers and to build a conservation constituency
among California divers.
With
the aim to increase the number of environmentally focused
dive leaders and coordinators we have developed a special
internship opportunity for environmentally minded individuals.
Ideal for Gap Year students and anyone looking for a
headstart in the Marine Conservation field.
Internships
are scheduled for 2 weeks following the completion of
the appropriate courses. To qualify for an Eco Internship
divers must hold at least Rescue Diver certification
and Reef Check Ecodiver certification and a minimum
of 50 dives. All Eco Internship applicants will assessed
on an individual basis dependant on the leadership qualities
displayed during their diver training.
The
role and opportunities of the Eco Interns are as follows.
Develop
and maintain the ‘Eco’ appearance of the resort including 1.
signage around the resort needs to be maintained and
updated as and when required either due to date changes
or due to age. This includes signage in the bar, reception
and other locations as necessary.
2. Develop more signage locations and notice boards
as and when required to ensure the information people
need is available and easy to locate.
Develop
and promote regular eco-days 1.
Coral
nursery dives and associated research
2. Reef Watch (Green Fins) afternoons
3. Coralwatch initiations
4. Beach & divesite clean ups.
5. Emergency clean ups if required EG; Fishing nets
covering sites
Liase
with management as and when required 1.
use of boats, tanks, equipment, pool
2. Sponsorship opportunities
3. Update on current events
Attend
meetings as and when required 1.
5th of each month: MCKT meeting
2. 18th of each month: Bio Rock meetings
3. Additional one-off meetings
Promote
and Develop Reef Check market 1.
Talk
to DMT’s, IDC candidates and other interested parties.
Promote
and Develop fundraising activities
Maintain records and information database 1.
Monthly accounts for department
2. Reef Check
3. Koh Tao Ecological Monitoring Program
4. Coralwatch (Project Aware)
5. Reef Watch (Green Fins)
6. Turtle Database
7. Whale Shark Database
Gap Year Packages
& Internship Opportunities
ECODIVER
PACKAGES
Our
Ecodiver packages are designed for the person who sees
our ever changing world and wants to make a difference
to the future of this beautiful planet. Our programs
are suited to anyone wishing to dive and learn about
the ecology, ecosystems and understand the marine environment
in a lot more depth whilst providing invaluable service
to its conservation and preservation. Gap Year Students
will find our courses ideally suited to their mid year
break. Our programs are ideally suited to those seeking
career development and future employability through
our thorough Internship Opportunities.
Package
Prerequisites
Internship
Available
1
Ecodiver
- Level One
None
Yes
- Limited
2
Ecodiver
- Level Two
Open
Water or equivalent
Yes
- Limited
3
Ecodiver
Specialist
Open
Water or equivalent
Yes
- Limited
4
Ecodiver
Professional 1
Advanced
Open Water or equivalent
Yes
5
Ecodiver
Professional 2
Rescue
Diver or equivalent
Yes
Ecodiver - Level One
This 2 week program allows you to learn to scuba dive
and use that skill to develop a more in depth understanding
of the aquatic environment and in turn helping to preserve
the aquatic environment for future generations of divers
& water lovers. This package is ideally suited to
Gap Year Students who have never dived before but have
a passion for the marine environment.
We’ll
guide you through the following programs:
>> PADI Open Water Diver Course >> PADI
Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty course >>
Advanced Open Water Course >> Reef Check Ecodiver
Course in conjunction with PADI Project Aware Specialty
Program
1.
This itinerary is flexible and may be reorganised for
logistical reasons.
2. Participants have the option to become more involved
in any number of activities depending on individual
interests & time constraints
36,350
THB
Price
Includes:
1. All teaching materials (Dive course manuals, tables
and other equipment as required)
2. Full Certification for listed courses
3. All dive equipment
4. 13 nights accommodation
Ecodiver
- Level Two
Already an Open Water diver. Then continue your development
to conserve this aquatic realm. This package is ideally
suited to Gap Year Students who already have a diving
licence.
We’ll
guide you through the following programs:
>> PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty course
>> Advanced Open Water Course >> Reef Check
Ecodiver Course in conjunction with PADI Project Aware
Specialty Program
1.
This itinerary is flexible and may be reorganised for
logistical reasons.
2. Participants have the option to become more involved
in any number of activities depending on individual
interests & time constraints
25,950
THB
Price
Includes:
1. All teaching materials (Dive course manuals, tables
and other equipment as required)
2. Full Certification for listed courses
3. All dive equipment
3. 9 nights accommodation
Ecodiver
Specialist - For Open Water Divers with Eco-Diving Career
Aspirations
Already an Open Water diver. Become a specialist in
the marine environment. This package is ideally suited
to Gap Year Students who already have a diving licence
and those looking for future employment in the field
of Marine Biology & resource conservation, preservation
or management. ‘Limited’ Internship Opportunities available
at the end of this program.
We’ll
guide you through the following programs:
> PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty course
>> PADI Advanced Open Water Course >> PADI
Project Aware Fish ID Specialty course
>> PADI Project Aware Underwater Naturalist Specialty
course >> Reef Check Ecodiver Course in conjunction
with PADI Project Aware Specialty Program
1.
This itinerary is flexible and may be reorganised for
logistical reasons.
2. Participants have the option to become more involved
in any number of activities depending on individual
interests & time constraints
35,550
THB
Price
Includes:
1. All teaching materials (Dive course manuals, tables
and other equipment as required)
2. Full Certification for listed courses
3. All dive equipment
4. 12 nights accommodation
Ecodiver
Professional 1 - For Advanced Divers with Eco-Diving
Career Aspirations
Already an Advanced Open Water diver. Then continue
your development to conserve this aquatic realm and
take your diving to the next level. This package is
ideally suited to Gap Year Students with future employment
and career development in mind. Internship opportunities
available at the conclusion of your divemaster training.
We’ll
guide you through the following programs:
>> Emergency First Response Course >> PADI
Rescue Diver Course >> Reef Check Ecodiver Course
in conjunction with PADI Project Aware Specialty Program>>PADI
DIvemaster Course
1.
This itinerary is flexible and may be reorganised for
logistical reasons.
2. Participants have the option to become more involved
in any number of activities depending on individual
interests & time constraints
50,750
THB
Price
Includes:
1. All teaching materials (Dive course manuals, tables
and other equipment as required)
2. Full Certification for listed courses
3. All dive equipment
4. 9 nights accommodation
Ecodiver
Professional 2 - For Rescue Divers with Eco-Diving Career
Aspirations
Already a passionate diver certified to Rescue Diver
level? Become a dive professional with a specialist
focus on the marine environment and its future. This
package is ideally suited to Gap Year Students who already
have a diving licence and those looking for future employment
in the field of Marine Biology & resource conservation,
preservation or management. ‘Limited’ Internship Opportunities
available at the end of this program.
We’ll
guide you through the following programs:
>> PADI Project Aware Fish ID Specialty course
>> PADI Project Aware Underwater Naturalist Specialty
course >> Reef Check Ecodiver Course in conjunction
with PADI Project Aware Specialty Program>>PADI
DIvemaster Course>> PADI Instructor Development
Course conducted by Platinum Course Director Matt Bolton
-
xxx - THB
Price
Includes:
1. All teaching materials (Dive course manuals , tables
and other equipment as required)
2. Full Certification for listed courses
3. All dive equipment
4. 14 nights accommodation
5. Please contact us for more details regarding additional
PADI processing fees for Instructor Development training.
