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During the first week of January 2012, I came across an advertisement on “Facebook” offering scholarship opportunities for Maldivians to be trained as “Reef Check EcoDivers” and subsequently to take part in a volunteer based reef surveying expedition. I was intrigued, being a PADI Divemaster myself at the time and having a deep fascination and love for marine conservation, I felt this was a once in a lifetime opportunity not to be missed. After all, who wouldn’t miss an opportunity to spend a week cruising aboard a luxury yacht in the Maldives, whilst receiving the knowledge and expertise that would be utilised to aid our collective marine conservation efforts.