PADI IDC Gili Islands, PADI Career Development Dive Resort

Diving is the attraction around the Gili Islands. The Gili Islands offer you all kind of marine life from little stuff till big stuff. The Gili Islands are famous for their sea turtles, but more important on the islands are no cars, no motorbikes and no dogs. Oceans 5 dive Resort, located on Gili Air, Indonesia, offers the full range of PADI dive courses from beginner to Divemaster and Instructor level. Oceans 5 Dive resort Gili Air is a PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Dive (IDC) Resort. Of the three Gili Islands just off the coast of Lombok, Gili Air is located closest to Lombok and is known for its tranquil atmosphere. It is not that busy as Bali or Gili Trawangan but there are enough bars and restaurants for a nice drink and bite in the evening. Why is Oceans 5 different than all the other dive shop around the Gili Islands? ◾Oceans 5 dive resort has 2 active Padi Course directors. ◾Oceans 5 dive resort is awarded with the Padi Green Award. ◾Oceans 5 dive resort is awarde...

Divemaster Internships Indonesia organizes dive internships in Indonesia. These Internships are conducted on Gili Air with Padi 5 star Instructor Development (IDC) dive resort Oceans 5 dive Gili Air. Oceans 5 dive resort Gili Air offers the following dive internships: ◾Divemaster Internships: Divemaster Internships are starting every day at Oceans 5 dive resort. It is a 4-8 week program. During the PADI Divemaster program, you learn dive leadership skills through both classroom and independent study. You complete water skills and stamina exercises, as well as training exercises that stretch your ability to organize and solve problems as well as help others improve their diving. You put this knowledge into action through a structured internship. Oceans 5 dive resort offers a structured internship. Oceans 5 has put extra workshops into the course, like organanizement of the boat, equipment servicing, marine biology classes, how does currents work, how to do a proper briefing, traini...

Sailor’s eyeballs are giant single-celled algae found in the Indo-Pacific down to 20 meters depth. They have other common names, such as bubble algae and sea pearl algae. You will find Saylor Eyeballs everywhere in Indonesia. When you are diving around the Gili Islands, you will find them at Halik Reef, Sunset Reef, Hans Reef and Sharkpoint. You will find them in all diffent sizes. These algae look rather like huge marbles, reaching up to 5 centimeters in diameter, and grow on coral and rocky reefs, attaching to the substrate by hair-like filaments called rhizoids. Young plants are translucent with a bluish sheen, while older ones become encrusted, for example by coralline red seaweeds. Sailor’s eyeballs undergo an interesting process of vegetative or asexual reproduction. Daughter cells grow inside the parent, which dies and breaks down, releasing the new plants For more information: http://www.oceans5dive.com

Look what one of our Padi Course Directors at Oceans 5 dive resort has got from Padi! Camille Lemmens is awarded with a Certificate of Recognition of Excellence Award. One of his last students at Oceans 5 dive resort was so happy with him as Course Director during the Padi Instructor Development Course (IDC) , that he, John, wrote an email to Padi. Well John, Thank you, enjoy diving around the Gili Island, Indonesia. Happy Bubbles!

The gentle giants of our oceans and seas has got to be whale sharks. The biggest ever whale shark reached an enormous 13 meters in length, and these amazing creatures are not only the biggest sharks we have in the whole world, they are biggest fish of any kind. The reputed maximum length of the fearsome great white shark only reached 7 meters, a dwarf in comparison. Not unlike humans, whale sharks have a lifespan of 70 years on average, and they spend their days gently swimming about in the warm and tropical oceans of the world, mouth open to filter feed from the plankton and microscopic organisms that float in our ocean's waters. Whale sharks are unperturbed by human activity, and even allow divers to hitch a ride. Their teeth are the size of match heads, and while no doubt their jaws could be powerful, they have never shown any aggression towards humans. Their teeth play no role in eating, as plankton does not need to be chewed. Scientists are still learning about this am...

The Vandellia Fish The number one fish on the list of top ten creepiest fish in the world is the vandellia fish! Do not let his appearance fool you! The vandellia is one of the most feared fish in the world, and you are about to find out why! You are probably already sitting, but I am going to suggest that you cross your legs at this time. Ready for the horrific details? Here they are! Native to the Amazon River basins in South America, the vandellia lives in freshwater streams. Also known as the toothpick fish, this small slender nightmare is only about 2.5 cm long and 3.5 mm wide. Scaleless and translucent, it is nearly impossible to see in the water. vandella gill covers are covered with short, sharp spines. Why, you ask? Normally a parasite of other fish, the vandellia will taste surrounding water then follow any stream of nitrogenous waste excreted from gills of fish. Once the host is located, the vandellia swims up and under the gill, expands the spines on its own gills to...

Angler Fish Yikes! There little mystery to how this monstrosity took runner up as the creepiest fish in the world! Falling a hair short of number one, the top ten list was made effortlessly! Angler fish are named for their characteristic mode of hunting prey, wherein a fleshy growth (esca) from the fish's head is used as a lure, which is similar to angling. Typically, angler fish have three long filaments sprouting from the center of their head. The longest usually being the first protruding above the fish's eyes, and is movable in all directions and can be wiggled so as to resemble a prey animal to other predators. Once close enough, the angler fish can devour these predators whole with jaws that are triggered automatically by contact with its tentacle. Occurring worldwide, angler fish can be found in open water, deep sea, bottom dwelling, and on the continental shelf. Some of the deep sea anglers can emit light from their esca. Both jaws that extend around the circumf...

The 8th of June was a beautiful day. It started as a normal day, between 7 and 8 oclock in the morning people were waiting for their boat going to Gili Trawangan, or Lombok. But around 9 more and more children came to the harbor, all the children of the village of Gili Air came to the meeting point to join the World Ocean Day games organized by the local community and Wild Life Society. During the day there were competition in drawing, swimming, kayaking, collecting rubbish, tug 'o' war and beach and reef clean ups. Hunderds of people were joining the day. Most of them were local. It is a great initiative, and the local population of the Island starts realizing how the important the oceans is for them and for the world. Hopefully there will be a great event like this next year: http://www.oceans5dive.com

With dental issues assuring the goblin shark made the top ten creepiest fish list, we are now to the top three! Goblin sharks are the sole living species in the mitsukurinidae family. Unique characteristics such as the long snout, being pink in color and having a retractable jaw distinguish the goblin shark from any other shark species. Though most common in Japan, this enigma of nature can be found all over the world at depths far below the reach of sunlight, up to 10,000 feet. Squid, crab and deep sea fishes are among the favorite dining choices of the goblin shark. Though human encounters with them have been rare, there does not seem to be a threat to their populations. There is a demand by some collectors for the skeletal jaws of the goblin shark, which sell at a rate of $1,400 - $4000 US. On average, the illusive creatures measure up to 13 feet long and weigh in at 660 pounds.

Whoa! How would you like to see number four on the top ten creepiest fish list come barreling at you? These African fish are found in many lakes and rivers on the continent. A relative of the piranha, tiger fish are savage predators with distinctive protruding teeth. Eating anything that will fit in its jaws, the tiger fish hides bank side to surprise its prey, up to its own size, with a fatal blow. While smaller fish are often bitten in half, larger targets will continue to be attacked until dead. An anticoagulant slime covers the teeth of tiger fish, preventing wounds inflicted from healing. Generally growing to be 30 inches long, tiger fish weigh in at around 15 pounds. The largest ever caught was in Kariba in 1962, measuring 32 inches and weighing 34 pounds. For predators, tiger fish have a fairly low tolerance for poor water conditions. Spotting one is a good indication of clean water. Not much of a pro to that con in my book!

The Grenadier Fish Coming in at number five on the top ten creepiest fish list is the grenadier fish. There will be no kiss and release with this guy! As luck would have it, grenadier fish are usually found just above the ocean floor. With huge heads, large eyes, and long tapering tails; grenadiers swim slowly over the sea bed, in search of prey or carcasses to eat. Usually about 2 ft long and weighing close to 10 lbs, this native of the atlantic can reach 4.9 ft and up to 60 lbs. On top of being one of the uglier fish in the ocean, grenadiers also have a very high level of TMAO giving them a powerful 'fishy' smell!

Number six on the top ten creepiest fish list is this eco-nightmare! Snakehead fish have the unique ability to survive in and out of water for long periods of time! Native to China, Russia, and Korea the snakehead fish found their way to the United States. Several of these predators were found in a pond in Crofton, Maryland leading to major media coverage. Considered to be highly invasive, the snakehead fish immediately become top of the food chain in US Lakes and ponds, and are illegal to own. After inhabiting a pond or lake, they eat every living creature in it. Without discrimination, a snakehead will eat everything from plankton and insects, to carp and mollusks. Once the food sources have been depleted, they jump out of the water and travel to new nearby bodies of water eating frogs, mice, rats, and small birds along the way! Most snakeheads grow to be 2 or 3 ft and weigh more than 15 pounds. Without natural predators in their new environment, these invaders can degrade ecosy...

Kanapa Tidak.Why Not? Yes! why not come to Gili Air, wonderful people, wonderful Island,Wonderful Diving. That is the reason we are back here in this friendly and safe environment. For me ! my personal experience of Gili Air is full of the biggest and most genuine smiles of friendship and curiosity Ive had the pleasure to witness over many places i have traveled to. What makes Gili Air special for me... hahahahaha many many things ! So this small island has been populated by local families for many years, creating a lovely close knit family feel,giving much respect for each other and for the many travelers who come to get away from the hustle and bustle of Bali or the western world. Kanapa Tidak ? Why not? A much slower pace is found here and if like me you are easily distracted there is many things that will distract you, forgetting the time,forgetting where you left things,forgetting where you were going,changing plans,meeting new people, locals ,dive shop staff,Diver...

The Blobfish This poor thing looks as though he was just shown a mirror! The fact that such things exist outside of cartoons earned the blobfish a solid spot on the top ten creepiest fish list! Aside from having a face only a mother could love, the blobfish has no muscles. They survive on a feeding strategy that consist of sitting and waiting for anything edible to float by. With Jelly-like flesh that is slightly lighter than water, they are able to float above the sea floor without the need to expend energy or scarce oxygen to swim. The low density flesh substitutes for a gas-filled swim bladder fish in waters less deep posses. However, at 300 ft depths, the pressure is about 80 times higher than sea level, so any gas would be too compressed to serve it's purpose. Blobfish are rarely seen by humans due to the inaccessibility of its habitat You like to know more: http://www.oceans5dive.com

The Basking Shark I know what you're thinking, and no, the basking shark is not also referred to as the mother-in-law of the ocean. While the skeleton of a shark is made up of cartilage, unlike the bones of a fish, technically a shark is a fish. With that being settled, we can move on to what secured this beast the number eight spot on the top ten creepiest fish in the world list. The basking shark is a classic example of why you should never judge a book by its cover. The fierce look of this monster is the only thing that qualified it for the top ten creepiest fish. In fact, the basking shark poses no threat to humans at all if left alone. Established to be the second largest species of shark, and found all over the world, weighing in at up to 19 tons and as much as 40 ft long. It is also one of the three known species of filter-feeding sharks. Unlike the other two filter-feeders, the basking shark does not have the ability to use suction and actively pump water in to their p...

The Stonefish Securing ninth place on the list of the top ten creepiest fish, the stonefish is clearly a master of camouflage. Does he look angry to anyone else? Believed to be the deadliest fish in the world, it is definitely the most venomous. Stonefish inhabit coral reefs primarily, but can also be found dormant in mud or sand in the Indo-Pacific region and northern Australian waters. Though the diet of this unnoticeable creature consist of shrimp and small fish, it poses a threat to many more. A row of thirteen venomous spines line its back, protecting it from attacks by bottom-feeding sharks and rays. When pressure is applied to the spines, glands involuntarily expel venom in to victim. After a few weeks, the glands regenerate and recharge. Stonefish are not harmful to us unless stepped on or caught. Wearing a thick soled shoe and treading lightly will help protect you, but the spines have the ability to pierce an average shoe easily! Once stung, excruciating pain and a gr...

The Viperfish Last, but not least, on the top ten creepiest fish list is the viperfish. This toothy sea dweller is one of the most fierce predators of the deep. The fangs of a viper fish not only do not fit in its mouth, but they curve all the way back to the fish's eyes! The long dorsal spine of this fearsome looking creature is tipped with a photophore, a light-producing organ. Prey is thought to be attracted by the flashing on and off of this while the viperfish hangs motionless in the water. Vipers have a hinged skull which they rotate up in order to swallow bigger prey. Their large stomachs can expand up to twice it's normal size allowing them to stock up on food when it is plentiful. Fortunately for us humans, a viperfish eats crustations such as shrimp and hermit crabs as well as anchovies, mackerel, and other little fish. Viperfish range from 30 to 60 cm weighing about 2,5 kg. Even if they enjoyed the occasional toe or finger, you can rest easy knowing the vipers ...

Frilled sharks (Chlamydoselachus anguineus) have elongated bodies giving them the appearance of eels, or perhaps snakes. It is the only shark in the family Chlamydoselachidae. Growing to only 2m in length, these sharks are rarely seen, but have been occasionally fished out of the water as an accidental by-catch. They have no known uses for man and so are not fished commercially. As in most shark species, the female attains a greater length than the smaller male, which only grows to 1.7m (5ft 6in). They may have been mistaken for the mythical sea serpent, much reported by seamen over the centuries. Frilled sharks are possibly the most primitive sharks in the oceans, dating back to 150 million years virtually unchanged. They are not considered dangerous to humans, mostly because we seldom meet one, and in fact the only people who tend to see them at all are fishermen and scientists. Where do frilled sharks live? Frilled sharks live on the continental slopes of the oceans, i...

An ugly creature Goblin sharks are a rare, out-of-this-world-looking ugly creature -- much like an evolutionary design gone wrong. These sharks can grow up to 3.9 meters and have a soft, flabby body. Their front teeth are long and pointy and progressively get shorter. Although their pinkish-gray body, which is the result of blood vessels being visible under semitransparent skin, may appear to be their most defining feature, it's not. Bizarre sea creature The goblin shark's defining features are its snout that resembles a shovel and retractable mouth that can move forward under the snout or move backward under the eyes which are small. The mouth extension is perhaps a necessity for this shark to get food past its long snout and into its mouth. When the mouth is retracted, the shark doesn't look too weird, but watch how the mouth extends in the video on the right to see what makes a goblin shark a bizarre sea creature. What do goblin sharks eat? Goblin sharks...

Basking Sharks Basking sharks are the second biggest fish in our oceans. Growing to a massive 40 feet long, they prefer to 'bask' in the upper layers of the water, which can give you quite a fright when all you see is the dorsal fin gliding through the sea. Basking sharks do not attack humans, and so you should be quite safe around one. What you may have trouble seeing from above the surface of the ocean is its huge mouth, opened wide, to allow it to filter plankton from the water around it. A basking shark can filter the same volume of water that would be used to fill 10 Olympic-sized swimming pools, in just one hour. It 's mouth opens wider than most fish, allowing sea-water to pass over specially adapted organs within its mouth, known as gill-rakers. These membrane-covered projections allow water to pass straight through, but retain small marine organisms like plankton. When it swallows, all the trapped organisms are swallowed too, and this is what sustains the...

Bluefin Tuna Perhaps the most iconic of endangered fish, the bluefin tuna occupies most of the northern Atlantic Ocean. One of the fastest fish in the sea, this species can grow to a length of 10 feet and weigh more than 1,400 pounds. This species' reputation as a fighter has made it a popular catch among recreational fisherman. And at a going rate of up to $100,000 per fish, it's highly prized by commercial fisherman as well. Bluefin tuna are heavily overfished, and most experts agree that without prompt intervention, the slow-growing, slow-maturing species will become extinct. International regulation is tricky, however, since the bluefin tuna is known to migrate thousands of miles across the ocean. And so far, efforts to control harvests have largely failed. Chosen by the WWF (formerly known as the World Wildlife Fund) as the sixth most threatened species in the world, sea or land, the bluefin tuna is by all measures critically endangered. For further information: htt...

Maltese Ray Historically, the Maltese ray populated the Mediterranean Sea in the coastal waters of Italy, Algeria, Malta and Tunisia. Today, its range is limited to the heavily-fished Strait of Sicily, a 90-mile-wide channel between Italy and Tunisia. Though little is known about this particular species, it likely displays characteristics similar to other rays: It grows slowly, matures late and produces few offspring. Commercial fishing vessels rarely target the Maltese ray. Rather, it is taken as bycatch in boats harvesting other species. Once they're caught, these unwanted fish are thrown back into the water, dead or dying. The decreasing population of this species and the slow response by regional governments to save it earned the Maltese ray a critically endangered rating from the IUCN. For further information: http://www.oceans5dive.com

Goliath Grouper All species of grouper are endangered to some extent, but the Goliath Grouper is particularly threatened. Also known as the jewfish, it lives in the subtropical areas of the eastern Pacific (from Baja California to Peru) and the Atlantic (from North Carolina to Brazil). As the name suggests, it's a very large fish, growing to 7 feet in length in its 40-year life span. Overfishing of the Goliath grouper is a result of two main issues. First, it reproduces for only a short period of time, resulting in relatively few offspring compared to other species. Second, juveniles often become accidental bycatch in other fishing operations. What fish remain are targeted during spawning by hook-and-line fishing boats. Out of concern for the Goliath grouper's survival, the United States banned harvest of the species, and the IUCN rated them as critically endangered. For further information: http://www.oceans5dive.com

European Eel Found primarily in the North Atlantic and the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas, European eel face a unique set of survival challenges. They have a fascinating development cycle, which begins with their birth out at sea and continues in freshwater streams thousands of miles inland, where they can grow to a length of 4.5. When they reach sexual maturity, at anywhere from 6 to 30 years of age, they return to the sea to spawn. If their route to the sea is blocked, they return to freshwater and can live for 50 years. But if they make it back to salt water and reproduce, they die. Because of this unusual life cycle, any eel that is caught at sea is a juvenile that has not yet had a chance to spawn. This has resulted in catastrophic overfishing of the European eel, and a critically endangered rating from IUCN. For further information: http://www.oceans5dive.com

Bocaccio Rockfish Of the more than 70 species of rockfish living off the United States' west coast, the bocaccio rockfish is one of the most endangered. While this 3-foot fish reaches reproductive age sooner than many overfished species -- as early as four to five years -- its larvae have a very low survival rate. Changes in ocean currents and temperature since the 1970s mean that large numbers of bocaccio larvae live to become juveniles only once every 20 years. In response to their dwindling numbers, the United States closed several fisheries along the West Coast in 2002. But even without trawling in these areas, scientists believe it could take 100 years for bocaccio populations to recover. With such significant challenges to recovery, the IUCN has listed the species as critically endangered.

Winter Skate The winter skate is a fascinating species known to deter predators and stun prey with a quick jolt of electricity. Most are found in the northwest Atlantic Ocean, from the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada to North Carolina in the United States. Once thought to be a "trash fish," the winter skate is now harvested and processed into fishmeal and lobster bait, and is even marketed for human consumption. Increased trawling for the species has resulted in the accidental capture of juveniles, which are easily mistaken for smaller, more abundant species. This has led to a staggering population decline among winter skate, which are slow to reach sexual maturity and have few offspring. Experts blame these factors for a 90 percent reduction in mature individuals since the 1970s. This devastating decline has earned the winter skate a critically endangered rating from the IUCN. If you like to have more information: http://www.oceans5dive.com