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Underwater Naturalist

The PADI Underwater Naturalist Course

Look closer to see more on your next dive. Look for symbioses, predator/prey and other relationships between aquatic plant and animal life. Learn not just what fish and animals are, but how they interact with each other and the environment.

Jellyfish that have adapted to the undwerwater environment - it no longer needs to stingThe Fun Part

Learn about why some creatures behave the way they do and what their role is in the aquatic ecosystem.


Scuba diver observing clown fishWhat You Learn

  • The major aquatic life groupings, interactions and factual information that dispels negative myths.
  • The role of aquatic plants, food chains and predator prey relationships
  • Responsible interactions with aquatic life
  • The underwater naturalist’s view of organisms and their roles in the environment

You put this information into practice during your two open water dives.

The Scuba Gear You Use

You will use the basic scuba gear and perhaps some scuba accessories.

Check with your local dive shop about gear rentals and packages offered with this course. You can find most everything at the scuba diving shop 

This PADI Scuba diver observes a clownfish (like Nemo) where it seeks protection from sea anemonesPrerequisites

  • Must be a PADI Open Water Diver or Junior Open Water Diver (or qualifying certification from another organization)

Your Next Adventure

If you are interested in becoming an underwater conservationist or documenting what you encounter, you’ll also enjoy these specialty courses:

PADI National Geographic Diver 
AWARE Fish Identification 
Coral Reef Conservation 
Project AWARE Specialist 
Peak Performance Buoyancy 
Digital Underwater Photography 
Underwater Videographer 

Padi Scuba Certification Courses

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