Tursiopsdivers
Established in 2017
ABOUT US
We are a small group committed to doing our little bits to fight against the pollution in our oceans and conserve our slowly degrading biodiversity. We work as part of PADI Aware's dive against debris program, providing long-term monitoring of our adopted dive site, the beautiful coral reef of Tung Ping Chau island and also take part in other volunteer actions.
Where does the name come from?
The founder of the group, Eszter, is an animal behaviour scientist. Her passion towards marine mammals and aquatic research inspired the name, which comes from Latin and means bottlenose dolphin.
The team
DR. Eszter Matrai
Founder and team leader
Moving to Hong Kong allowed my childhood dream to come true and learn to scuba dive. Even before learning diving, I visited Tung Ping Chau for snorkelling on multiple occasions and I was mesmerised by its variety of corals and fish species. When I finally became a diver, I returned to Tung Ping Chau regularly and in a few years, I noticed the gradual decline of the reef. As a marine park and a coral diversity hotspot, Tung Ping Chau plays a crucial role in Hong Kong's marine biodiversity. That is why I decided to adopt Tung Ping Chau and to organise regular cleanup events to do everything I can to preserve this beautiful place. As a scientist, I believe that pairing our cleanup efforts with appropriate data collection is critical to making a difference. Our survey data have provided a valuable addition to the international Dive Against Debris map. Since 2017 the number of members of our team has grown 8x. I am honoured and humbled by the help of over 100 volunteers over the years. Thank you all!
Kwok Shaw Ting
Core member
Rick has been with us since the beginning of 2017. He is a dive master and a fantastic team member. Rick has not only been participating in our cleanup events, but he also took part in educational talks and presentations. Dive safety is his number one priority, which is extremely important when the dive takes place at a remote location such as Tung Ping Chau. Rick's sense of responsibility towards the group and the protection of the marine flora and fauna makes him a role model for the group.
Elaine fan
Core member
Elaine is a dive master with 10+ years of diving experience under her belt. Elaine joined Tursiopsdivers in 2018 and has been our core member since 2019. Elaine has a passion for nature and marine life. She is not only an amazing diver but also a patient and knowledgeable dive buddy. She is always ready to help, no matter if it is a broken equipment or a nervous new diver. We are so lucky to have her in our team!
Jackie Chung
Core member
Jackie joined Tursiopsdivers in 2018 and has been our core member since 2019. He is an ocean lover scuba instructor. He believes in the importance of keeping our oceans clean and protecting the environment. "Our oceans are our home, and we must do our best to preserve it". Jackie is an inspirational teacher and role model, we are so fortunate to have him in our team!
Casey leung
Core member
Casey was one of the first members of Tursiopsdivers! She is an advanced diver with nine years of experience. As a future veterinarian, she has a deep appreciation towards nature and the ocean. Casey and I have spent many hours simply staring at a small shrimp or even a common puffer fish without getting bored. We even go snorkelling between dives, and we have both been described as a little crazy in a good way. Whenever Casey is in Hong Kong, she is always ready to help with our surveys. Let it be a calm and clear explanation for newbies, sorting of the marine debris or a simple equipment check, Casey is always ready to help!
Billy chan
Core member
Billy is our newest core member. He first joined us in 2019 and has been helping out since. Billy is a rescue diver with eight years of experience! He is passionate about environmental protection. "I want to dedicate myself to preserving Mother Earth with anything I can do and maintaining this wonderful place to live on". Billy has been an immense help in these past years. In the lack of other core members, he stepped up without hesitation to help coordinate our surveys and to guide new divers. We welcome him to our core team!
Our members
Walter Ernesto Dellisanti
Judy Chan
Jessica Li
Cyrena Tong
Alan Lin
Ada Tang
Zi Yi
LawlunC
Niki Yeung
Maria Jones
Kelvin Chow
Kimberly Chong
Jia Huan
Philip Chau
Peggy Chui
Charlotte Zolotokrylina
Yan Yip
Fung Ming Leung
Rick Lui
Iris Woo
Bon King
Derrick Wong
Karthi Krishnasamy
Paolo Martelli
Celia Cho