Scientific Expedition Prep – Shipwreck Dive and Rescue Diving Certification

written by

Toshia Wildasin

This year was a very important marker for sure. As we get older, time certainly speeds up. I wanted to stretch myself and do a challenge… I don’t invest 10 minutes of my time, energy or thoughts these days unless it has great purpose or pleasure involved. I pay very close attention to how I feel in and around all environments and people, weed accordingly. Time left is too short to waste on anything / anyone not in true alignment for purpose or pleasure. Pruning is pleasure.

For purpose, I promised to commit to 2 scientific expeditions a year for conservation that matter to me. The first one being in 2022 in the Maldives volunteering for coral reef and whale shark wildlife conservation. I had to get my open water diving certification renewed before I could assist in the research project.

**Anyone interested in these Scientific expeditions with the same heart, you’re welcome to send an email to for details.

So I’ve spent the last month mostly 8-9 hours a day on the boats and in the sea getting my open water, advanced and rescue certification done. Rescue was so intense with emergency drills in the water but EFR great to have in everyday life (hope I never need to use it).
For my actual bday July 3rd, I gifted myself a deep shipwreck dive to battle my fears of claustrophobia. I wanted to go inside the ship rooms which is tight. This was my goal before I left the country. They told me I had to be trained and approved to do that. OK. So I trained…

I’ll admit, I was really worried at first for the shipwreck. I had “in my head” it was going to be mentally hard. However the cenotes cave dives we had to do in the advanced course were 1000 times scarier than the shipwreck. One advanced diver with us panicked when he saw the rock above his head and went back up. I thought that would have been me but I felt (surprisingly) super comfortable in the caves (granted I had a great instructor) under the rocks, normally very claustrophobic. I even took my regulator out 6 times (not that smart) but it showed how comfortable I was…

On my bday July 3rd, we went to the island and proceeded to the shipwreck dove. It was my goal! I DID IT!!! When I came out of the ship under water, The dive masters had a sign for me “happy birthday -“Feliz compleanos” and gave me a hug for completing it (battling my fears) and pointed to the other divers who were clapping through the ship windows. I cried in my mask. It was such an incredibly beautiful moment in time!! So Breathtaking to experience that in the depths – bday celebration 🎉 like in another dimension.

Lesson Learned

All these years I said I was claustrophobic.It was a label I gave myself! But I’m clearly NOT! be careful with the boxes and blocks we put ourselves in that don’t truly belong. If you create the label and tell yourself that – you will be.

Be careful and watch what you say to yourself!Where your thoughts go, your energy goes so don’t waste them on things, people, labels or stories that don’t serve you!

Best diet

STOP COMPLAINING, don’t hang around others that live for complaining, gossip bonding, negative, defensive, looking for fights/ last word etc… push the delete button or detour.

Best lifestyle

SMILE. It’s changes your face! look for the things that are working vs what’s not. Gratitude eliminates depression.

Best alignment

Always go where you are loved and appreciated. Don’t waste time or fret otherwise.

A Big thank you to Jérôme Queige for coming for support me in the boat for the shipwreck dive and Making the evening after on my bday so incredible. We had such a magical celebratory dinner, after the dive, at sunset on the island. We were surrounded by real crabs crawling up to our table (I’m a cancer crab) , candles, roses and VC rose champagne – pretty amazing day that will forever be stamped in my memory. One of the best days of my life.

This one is for the books!!!

What a beautiful way to honor this year – already off to a beautiful start.

life journey moments

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