A number of Royal Gibraltar Regiment soldiers are celebrating after qualifying as divers in Gibraltar last month. 

A statement from British Forces Gibraltar follows below:

The five-month-long course saw 16 soldiers pass the Open Water Diving Course and 6 soldiers pass an Advanced Open Water Diving Course which took place at Rosia and Camp Bay between May and September. 

Diving is a key element of military life and enables the soldiers to push beyond their comfort  zone in a controlled environment. 

Part of their Adventure Training, the Regiment often take part in adrenaline-fuelled activities,  such as sky diving, mountain biking, skiing and scuba diving. 

The recent diving courses are designed to get the troops ready for more testing dives next  September, when they will be diving in world-class sites around the Rock. 

Cpl David Warden, 28, said: “I completed both the Open Water and Advanced Open Water  Diving courses. On the Advanced course, the team dived to a total depth of 28 metres and  saw all types of aquatic life including crabs, octopus and various species of fish. 

“Depending where you dive is what type of wreck that you might see. There were a lot of old  Spanish boats which have been submerged around Gibraltar to attract sea life to them that a  natural reef wouldn’t do. 

“Doing both courses has been an eye opener. This is something I will carry on doing as  much as possible. This has made me want to gain more diving qualifications and I highly  recommend doing the courses.”