PADI Regional Manager, Jimmy Cristrup, recently visited Malapascua to give TSD the various awards that we have received over the last two months.
Top of the list was our winning PADI Member Award for 2009. Thresher Shark Divers was the proud recipient of the PROJECT AWARE MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL Award. Jimmy presented us with a beautiful plaque to commemorate the event.
Andrea receiving the Project Award from PADI Regional Manager, Jimmy Christrup
It is wonderful that we have received this recognition for our varied involvement with local and international conservation events. This award has only inspired us to do more in the future and we have many upcoming events planned as well as long range conservation efforts.
Top of the agenda is to push the implementation of 24 hour marine park protection for Malapascua’s prime dive sites. This requires cooperation from and co-ordination with many other businesses, organizations and governmental agencies. It will not be easy, but we believe it will be possible.
We are also pleased at the progress of our artificial reef – although only a few months old, it already has some coral growth and some fish have moved in. We have experts in reef regeneration working with us to assist on the progress of the reef.
As well as this prestigious award, Jimmy presented us with two other Award Certificates: TSD was the runner-up for two more Member Awards for 2009 – OUTSTANDING DIVE CENTER Award and DIVER RETENTION Award.
Of the five possible Member Award categories for 2009 we are very pleased and proud to have received these three nominations and one winning place. These truly places us among the top PADI Dive Centers.
Jimmy also took this chance to present our Master Instructor, Mike Ferguson, with a Certificate of Excellence from PADI. This award was genuinely well deserved. Mike is an incredible teacher, one of the best around and garners endless praise from his students. It is not the first award he has received from PADI and we are sure there will be many more to come.
Mike receiving a Certificate of Excellence from PADI Regional Manager, Jimmy Christrup