Merlijn | SSI Instructor

Hey, I'm Merlijn!

Before coming to Curaçao, I worked as a nurse at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam. Providing care and working with people is kind of in my nature. Traveling has always been a big passion of mine; for example, I once made a long journey through southern Africa, traveling by bus, train, boat, and minibus all the way from the east coast of Tanzania to the west coast of Namibia.

The idea to come to Porto Mari was sparked by my former neighbor Leonie, who was already here and got me excited with her stories. In August 2024, I decided to take the plunge, and from that moment on, my diving adventure really took off.

At Porto Mari, I was trained from Advanced Open Water Diver to Divemaster. I was one of the last Divemasters within the PADI system, but — together with Roef — also one of the very first instructors to be fully trained within the new SSI system at Porto Mari. Among other things, I taught Independent Diver courses and was known for my strong focus on skills and dive theory. Thanks to my background in healthcare, I was also the go-to person for first aid courses.

My time at Porto Mari lasted from August 2024 to June 2025, a period in which I learned and grew tremendously. I am now back in the Netherlands, where I am once again working as a nurse and training to become an ICU nurse.