January 2022

Janessa is a world-traveling scuba diver. She has lived in 5 countries, visited 47 countries, and scuba-dived in 6 countries with over 340 dives. She tried diving for the first time when she was 18 years old and recently completed her Dive Instructor certificate. She is inspired to preserve the ocean’s ecosystem and marine life, leading her to participate in reef restoration and rehabilitation projects.  Janessa’s been called an underwater butterfly. 
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Small islands dot the horizon as far as the eye can see, while the vessel I’m on glides through the tropical blue waters of the Andaman Sea. Bright billowing clouds pepper the sky providing the perfect amount of coverage to keep the sun’s strong rays at bay. It’s a fantastically beautiful day to go diving in this tropical paradise. 

The boat is bustling with scuba divers from all around the world preparing for the adventures of the day. Although it’s a stunning day and it feels like a vacation, this isn’t just an ordinary fun diving excursion for us. Our goal is to learn how to rehabilitate a reef by propagating coral as we work in conjunction with Thailand’s Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR).

As the boat cruises to its destination, divers are briefed by Mr. Pitul Panchaiyaphum, a marine biology expert with the DMCR, about our course objectives for the day. Our ability to remain neutrally buoyant will be tested as it is important that we are able to maintain our positions underwater while planting coral. We will also be required to locate and identify bits of broken coral that are still living and can be replanted. For our last requirement, we are expected to properly plant some of the bits of coral we’ve identified as suitable for propagation. 

Soon after the briefing, our ship reaches a little island called Yawasam. We gear up and dive in to discover a reef rich with biodiversity but also damaged in places due to mass tourism. While searching for corals to plant I see colorful parrot fish and grumpy-looking groupers cohabitating nicely in their aquatic environment. I also come across a pair of little nudibranchs that are blissfully unaware of the reef rehabilitation work being done around them. As I complete the tasks at hand, I can’t help but hope all these unique marine animals will flourish in this reef. 

Thanks to the DMCR’s guidance, my efforts and those of the dive crew I’m with are successful for the day. However, despite what we’ve accomplished there is still so much more that needs to be done to protect, restore and save our reefs.

Participating in a reef rehabilitation project was profoundly gratifying for me as a professional diver. For me, the possibility to be part of a solution is invigorating both spiritually and mentally. Now, working in any capacity to help preserve our oceans’ habitats has become a personal mission I’m passionate about. 

I want to help save our oceans because I ardently love everything about diving. Immersing myself in new and exotic environments has always been exhilarating and entertaining for me. So, diving the depths of our beautiful blue planet fits with my adventurous spirit. I simply love being fully submerged in the ocean. That free weightless feeling is so liberating. I also genuinely love being able to swim up close to all the different types of underwater marine life. Last but certainly not least, I’m enthusiastic about the dive community in our beautiful world. There are so many fantastic people who love the ocean as much as me. I only hope that all of us can work together to make the planet a better one. 

As travel resumes, we are revisiting some of the best images from years past.  Please #planethoppers your Instagram photos so we may follow all your future journeys!