An Interview – Cut Fitri Malinda

This week on ‘An Interview with WiseOceans’ we spoke with Cut Fitri Malinda from Blue Corner Dive

Name: Cut Fitri Malinda

Role: PADI & Conservation Diver Instructor

Company: Blue Corner Dive Nusa Penida

Top Tip: Stay patient

1. What inspired you to pursue a career in marine conservation? 

I want to be the voice of the ocean. Marine animals do not have the ability to speak for themselves, so I want to help represent and protect them. I have worked as an assistant at my college teaching junior students about marine conservation during field activities. Seeing their faces when they learn something new for the first time is priceless. Having become an instructor, I believe I can be a catalyst for change, and I am committed to doing this in the long term.

2. What steps did you take or are you currently taking to achieve your career goals?

I studied marine science in college and have loved diving since my first year. However, reaching the instructor level was financially challenging, I was actively looking for scholarships that would support my training. I was lucky enough to get sponsorship from Blue Corner and PADI and also Conservation Diver and Daughters of the Deep. I am now saving to take another course to deepen my knowledge of coral reefs, and I plan to apply for additional scholarships that will open next year.

3. How did you obtain your current position? 

Jason of Blue Corner Penida and was my mentor during my Divemaster training in 2019. I approached him in 2023 to ask if I could return and work in a Divemaster position, and I got it.

4. Which part of your job do you enjoy the most?  

Scuba diving of course!

5. Are there aspects of your position which make you feel that you are really ‘making a difference’? 

When students feel amazed by what they learn, it reassures me that I am making a difference. That sense of wonder makes me confident that they will share their experiences with others and encourage more people to care and protect the ocean.

6. What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were starting out?

I wish I had known earlier that experienced people are often willing to be asked for guidance and to be a mentor.

7. Are there any skills you never thought you would need but did?

I never thought that communication and teaching skills would be so important or as critical as the diving and scientific knowledge.

8. What advice would you give to budding marine conservationists?  

Stay patient, the hard work for protecting the ocean will pay off. And never feel your work is better than the others, we all just want to save the ocean.

9. What is your favourite marine creature and why?

Mola-mola for sure. This weird looking creature is so hard to see, so when it pops up, it feels like a gift from the ocean. Also, I always feel bad for them, because people are always chasing them for a photo when they just want to have the parasites cleaned from their body.

10. What is your most unforgettable moment in the sea?

I still remember the first time I saw a Reef Manta Ray during my navigation adventure dive, It just passed in front of me during the compass skill. I was literally crying underwater.