In the turquoise waters of Mauritius, one Green Fins Member and PADI Eco Center is proving that the best conservation stories start with people, not just policies.
A Wedding That Changed Everything
Picture this: 20,000 fishermen across Mauritius stopping their daily routines to watch a wedding video. Not just any wedding — Bernard’s wedding. Bernard, who used to cast nets in these same waters, now guides divers through them as one of Ocean Spirit Scuba Diving Mauritius‘ most respected divemasters.
When Ocean Spirit filmed Bernard’s celebration, they didn’t expect the video to reach so many in the fishing community. But it did something powerful — it showed an entire industry what career transformation looks like. It showed that you can love the ocean in different ways.
This is the story of Ocean Spirit, where conservation isn’t just about protecting reefs. It’s about transforming lives, communities and even industries, one person at a time.
Where Conservation Meets Community
Ocean Spirit’s approach to marine conservation starts with a simple philosophy: “Conservation begins at home.” Instead of flying in dive instructors from around the world, they invest in local Mauritian talent. They hire people from the community and build careers alongside them.
The results speak for themselves. One young instructor has climbed the ranks to become a PADI Course Director. Another who left school to help support his family and is now a PADI Instructor. These aren’t just career success stories — they’re conservation multipliers. Every local dive professional becomes an ambassador for the reefs they call home.
“We empower our team,” explains Ocean Spirit. “Each member is recognised, and their contribution is valued.” This approach has created what they call “a formidable, highly respected team” that doesn’t just talk about conservation — they live it daily.
When Divers Become Environmental Detectives
Sometimes the most powerful conservation work happens when you take the right person underwater at the right time. Ocean Spirit discovered this when they faced a crisis that was killing the local reefs.
The Mon Choisy Le Golf course had been constructed without proper environmental safeguards. Acids from fertilisers were leaching into groundwater, contaminating aquifers and killing the coral reefs nearby. It was an environmental disaster happening in slow motion.
But here’s where Ocean Spirit’s community connections made all the difference. The CEO of the construction company happened to dive with them. So they did what they do best — they took him underwater and showed him exactly what his company’s oversight had caused. Within six months, the golf course was closed for refurbishment, and the greens were properly lined to prevent further toxic runoff.
One dive. One conversation. One reef saved.
The Power of Paying Attention
Since 2017, Ocean Spirit has been doing something that many dive centres overlook — they’ve been paying attention. Every dive is logged. Every marine sighting is recorded in their ISO database. All of this data flows to Reef Conservation, an NGO they support.
But one of their most remarkable monitoring works happens at their PADI Aware Adopt the Blue site in partnership with the Turtle Identification Project in La Reunion. Over eight years, they’ve been tracking changes in this single location, watching as turtles disappear seasonally, algae blooms come and go, and millions of tiny fish suddenly appear each spring.
“The first time we visited, we found six turtles on Turtle Rock,” Jill Holloway, Director at Ocean Spirit, recalls. “Over the next few weeks, we managed to identify more than eight turtles and received adoption certificates for two of them.” These careful observations contribute to scientific understanding of reef ecosystem cycles that would otherwise go unnoticed.
Amplifiying Important Messages
Ocean Spirit’s careful documentation and storytelling extend beyond their local community. Their YouTube channel has reached 3 million views, and they’ve brought on an intern, Ian Haggerty, to help them connect with younger audiences through TikTok and Instagram. With his 600,000 followers and over 342 million views on ocean content, Ian helps amplify their conservation message to the next generation of potential ocean protectors.
Recognition That Matters
All of this work hasn’t gone unnoticed. Ocean Spirit has won the “Most Educational Ocean Awareness & Conservation Centre – Mauritius Award” two years running (2023 and 2024). The Mauritian government nominated them for marine conservation awards presented by the Minister of Tourism himself.
But perhaps the most meaningful recognition comes from their seamless integration with the Green Fins Code of Conduct. When they joined, there were no major changes needed. “Green Fins practices are the same as PADI Aware’s,” they note. “The Ocean Spirit team already practices the principles.”
For Ocean Spirit, Green Fins membership was less about changing practices that they’re already following and more about joining a global community. “It’s been a wake-up call,” they explain. “It’s a reminder that there is a bigger world out there that needs to see what Mauritius has accomplished.”
Understanding the Bigger Picture
Ocean Spirit sees their work as part of something larger. They understand that the sargassum blooms hitting U.S. beaches, the Gulf Stream changes, and the turtle patterns they monitor in Mauritius are all connected. They envision platforms like Green Fins Hub becoming major information resources that link marine conservation data across industries — from diving and shipping to renewable energy and sustainable fisheries.
“We are facing a monumental undersea crisis,” they acknowledge. “Green Fins is an international platform that could share information across the globe and help prepare the way to a more sustainable future.”
A Model Worth Replicating
What makes Ocean Spirit special isn’t any single program or achievement. It’s how they’ve woven conservation into every aspect of their operation — from hiring practices to data collection, from community engagement to global communications.
They’ve proven that you don’t have to choose between environmental responsibility and business success. Bernard’s journey from fisherman to dive master isn’t just a career change story — it’s a conservation success story. The golf course remediation isn’t just an environmental victory — it’s proof that the diving community can drive real policy change.
Most importantly, they’ve shown that the best conservation stories are human stories. When you invest in people, when you build local capacity, when you pay attention to what’s happening underwater and share those stories with the world — that’s when real change happens.
Ocean Spirit isn’t just diving in Mauritius. They’re diving into the future of marine conservation, one person, one reef, one story at a time.
Want to learn more about sustainable diving practices or find Green Fins Members in your area? Visit the Green Fins Members directory to discover how you can dive responsibly and support marine conservation wherever your underwater adventures take you.
For marine tourism operators who would like to join the sustainability movement, you can become a Green Fins Member at greenfins.net/join.
