Ocean Explorer Program
Elevate Your Dive Briefings into Transformative Learning Experiences
A field-ready, in-water interpretive program that helps scuba professionals turn every dive into an unforgettable marine ecology lesson.
The new Ocean Explorer Program is a collaborative initiative between Ocean Education International (OEI) and Reef Smart Guides, where program creator Dr. Alex Brylske also serves as Director of Education. Designed specifically for working dive professionals, Ocean Explorer has been fully incorporated into OEI’s signature professional development course, ECO PRO, giving instructors a ready‑made framework to integrate high‑quality marine ecology content into their everyday operations. Through this partnership, Ocean Explorer combines OEI’s long-standing expertise in marine environmental education and sustainable tourism with Reef Smart’s detailed reef guides and educational tools, enabling you to transform routine dives and snorkels into powerful, conservation‑focused learning experiences.
What Is the Ocean Explorer Program?
The Ocean Explorer Program from Reef Smart Guides is a series of three guided in‑water experiences that deepen divers’ and snorkelers’ understanding of coral reef ecosystems.
Each module is designed as a guided experience, not a course. There are no classrooms, no knowledge reviews, and no performance requirements. Participants simply explore the reef with purpose, guided by you as a trained Reef Smart Educator, and receive a certificate of completion rather than a certification card.
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The Bentos
Focuses on the reef floor and the key benthic organisms (corals, sponges, algae, invertebrates) that form the foundation of reef health with an idea.
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The Fish Community
Uses morphology (form) and behavior (function) to help participants understand reef fishes as members of feeding guilds, not just as species to identify.
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The Reef at Night
Reveals coral reef “night shift” phenomena such as nocturnal behaviors, bioluminescence, and biofluorescence.
Designed Specifically for Working Dive Professionals
The Ocean Explorer Program is built to plug directly into normal dive and snorkel operations:
No classroom time: All core learning is delivered through your pre‑ and post‑dive briefings and the in‑water experience.
Flexible format: Each module can stand alone or be offered in any sequence, allowing you to match content to the site, conditions, and clientele.
Participant‑friendly: Scientific concepts are explained in accessible language suitable for most divers and snorkelers aged roughly 12 and up.
To conduct the program, you must complete the Reef Smart Educator Training Course and be a certified dive professional (Divemaster or Instructor) with a recognized training agency, in active teaching status and properly insured for your region.
Why This Adds Value to Your Career as an Educator
As a scuba instructor or divemaster, you already teach people how to dive. The Ocean Explorer Program helps you teach why the ocean matters—without turning vacations into lectures.
By becoming a Reef Smart Educator, you can:
Differentiate your operation by offering structured, ecology‑focused experiences that go far beyond basic dive briefings.
Increase guest satisfaction and loyalty by helping divers and snorkelers notice more, understand more, and feel a deeper connection to the sites they visit.
Reinforce safe, low‑impact diving behavior via eco‑conscious briefings that integrate safety, buoyancy, and environmental stewardship.
Appeal to a growing conservation‑minded market, including families, young travelers, and repeat divers seeking more meaningful experiences.
Leverage existing dives and sites—no special infrastructure is required beyond standard dive operations and the official Reef Smart materials.
These benefits follow directly from the program design: it embeds marine biology and ecology into the normal flow of briefings, dives, and debriefs in a way that is structured, repeatable, and branded, without competing with agency certification courses.
Take the Next Step
If you’re ready to turn your briefings into powerful interpretive experiences and position yourself as a true ocean educator, the Reef Smart Guides Ocean Explorer Program gives you a complete, field‑tested framework—created by divers, for divers.
How It Works in Practice
For each module, every participant receives a Discovery Pack, which includes:
A welcome card with a QR code linking to free online learning resources
Waterproof, pencil‑writable reference cards for use underwater
A metal clip to secure the cards
A certificate of completion
Before the dive or snorkel, you integrate a short eco‑focused briefing that introduces the module’s objectives and how to use the waterproof cards. During the in‑water experience, participants record observations and data directly on their cards. Afterward, you lead a guided debrief that helps them interpret what they saw and reflect on their role as responsible ocean stewards.
Extend Learning Beyond the Boat
Participants can register for free online learning resources that complement the in‑water experiences by scanning the QR code on their Discovery Pack welcome card and visiting the Reef Smart Education website at education.reefsmartguides.com. This optional content lets motivated guests prepare before the dive or dive deeper into topics afterward, at no additional teaching load for you.