How One Rescue By Diver In Fujairah Put UAE On Global Marine Conservation Map

What began as a routine dive off the coast of Fujairah has grown into a globally recognised marine conservation initiative. This shows how individual action in UAE waters can drive international change.

During a dive at Martini Rock, a popular site in the emirate, Dubai-based diving professional Mudasir Wajid encountered a stingray trapped by over 100 meters of abandoned fishing line. The stingray was pinned to the seabed, unable to swim or breathe normally.

“It wasn't a dramatic moment at first,” Wajid recalls.“But when I watched the ray's spiracles slowing down, it was clear it was suffocating. It couldn't lift itself off the bottom. That's when you know intervention isn't optional, it's urgent.”

The rescue went beyond freeing one animal - it led to the creation of the Ocean Guardian Rescue Diver Specialty, now officially recognised by PADI, which trains divers to handle marine entanglement cases safely, ethically, and with the right knowledge.

“There is a dangerous myth that rescuing marine life is just about good intentions,” Wajid says.“In reality, good intentions without training can make things worse for the animal, the reef, and the diver.”

According to Wajid, intervention is only justified when the threat is clearly human-caused.“Ghost nets, fishing hooks, plastic, those are our mess. That's when we step in,” he explains.“But if an animal is sick naturally or involved in a predator-prey situation, the most responsible action is to stay back.”

He stresses that rescuers must be honest about their limits.“If the current is strong, visibility is poor, or the animal is too large or too reactive, stepping in becomes reckless. At that point, you're adding another casualty to the situation.”

One of the most common mistakes made by untrained rescuers is rushing.“People want to cut immediately,” he says.“But if a line is under tension and you snap it, it can recoil like a whip. I've seen lines slice fins and nearly slice divers.”

Standard dive knives, he adds, are often ineffective.“Most are blunt. Heavy monofilament needs a specialised serrated tool. Otherwise, you're sawing, stressing the animal and increasing the risk of injury.”

The risks to divers are significant.“Task loading is the silent killer,” Wajid warns.“You focus so hard on the entanglement that you forget your air supply, your buoyancy, your no-decompression limits. That's how accidents happen.”

During the Fujairah rescue, the danger was constant.“I was working next to a stingray barb with a loose line everywhere,” he says.“If that line had wrapped around my tank valve or regulator, I could've been fighting for my own life.”

To lower these risks, the Ocean Guardian course teaches a step-by-step approach.“We drill a 'Stop, Breathe, Think' mindset,” Wajid explains.“You assess the gear, check your team, confirm you have enough gas for at least another 10 to 15 minutes, and plan your exit before you ever touch the animal.”

Poorly planned rescues can also damage fragile reef ecosystems.“One wrong fin kick can destroy coral that took decades to grow,” he says.“And rough handling can strip a fish of its slime coat - its immune system. You might free it today, but it could die from infection a week later. That's not a successful rescue.”

Marine debris remains the main driver behind the growing need for intervention.“Ghost gear doesn't disappear,” Wajid says.“It sits on our reefs for years, continuing to trap and kill marine life. Divers are the ones seeing this firsthand, which is why we had to train ourselves to respond properly.”

By formalising the training, Wajid says the goal was to remove ego from rescue situations.“We wanted to move away from cowboy heroics,” he explains.“This isn't about being a hero. It's about following a checklist, sticking to standards, and making the safest decision, even if that decision is to walk away.”

Sometimes, the most responsible action is documentation rather than direct intervention.“The best rescue can be taking a photo, logging the GPS location, and reporting it through official channels,” he says.“Being a protector of the ocean means knowing when to act and when to let the right people respond with the right equipment.”

What started as one rescue in Fujairah has become a global training movement, supporting the UAE's broader goals for sustainability and marine conservation. As Wajid says:“The ocean doesn't need more heroes. It needs trained witnesses, informed responders, and people who respect the line between help and harm.”

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