The funding group for the Bermuda Aquarium Museum and Zoo recently helped middle school pupils overcome their fear of the deep sea and learn about the ocean.

A two-day Kids on the Reef camp was held by the Bermuda Zoological Society to help build a sense of ocean stewardship in Dellwood Middle School M2 pupils.

Alex Amat, BZS’s ocean educator, said that the objective of the camp was to test children’s comfort level in the water while reminding them of the ocean’s importance.

Dr Amat explained: “For some of these kids, their personal challenge is to just get their head in the water. For others, it may be going into water that they cannot stand in.

“Some of them may be truly petrified to get in the water and of fish.

“The goal is that, by the end of the second day, for them to realise that they could do something that they could not do before.”

Dr Amat said that the youngsters spent the first day adjusting to the water by learning stretches and breathwork before snorkelling in the shallow waters of Trunk Island.

The second day was spent free-diving along the outer reefs and exploring deeper waters.

The pupil also looked at the challenges the ocean faced, particularly around Bermuda, and what they could do to help.

Pupils focused on topics such as ocean acidification, global warming, invasive species and threats to coral reefs.

Dr Amat said that the children would be more “prone to act” if they knew more about the ocean and how it worked.

At the end of the camp, each pupil received a snorkel and mask to keep them interested in diving.

Many of Dellwood’s participating pupils also found the course invigorating.

Rylee Lightbourne said that she initially felt anxious taking part in the programme and had expected a bad time.

She admitted that she was “not the biggest fan” of free-diving in deep water or being close to fish.

The student added: “However, some of the things I enjoyed were the breathing exercises, free-diving, learning more sustainable ways to keep Bermuda beautiful and getting over my fear of large fish.

“I really did not think that I would enjoy free-diving with the weighted rope but I ended up loving it.

“I almost reached the bottom. It was exhilarating.”

Rylee said that anyone doing this for the first time should expect to work outside of their comfort zone and become more confident in the water.

Mishael Paynter, an English teacher and student co-ordinator at Dellwood, admitted that the pupils were a “mixed bag” when starting off.

He added that he saw the youngsters “overcoming fears, connecting with different people in their year group and working together to share information and discuss topics that impact them”.

Jeff Manson, the head of RenaissanceRe’s Global Public Sector Partnership, which sponsored Kids on the Reef, said: “This initiative fosters a deeper connection with our marine environment and educates students on the importance of environmental stewardship.

“We look forward to seeing the positive impact the programme will have on Bermuda’s students and ultimately hope that it inspires a lifelong commitment to sustainability.”