Meet the marine mammals with Espace Mer

Philippe Bernardi, from Hyero, has been passionate about diving and freediving since his teenage years. He holds a BTS and a degree from the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers and started his professional life as an engineer in industrial electronics.

He joined the Espace Mer diving center in 1986, created 2 years earlier by Patrick and Béatrice Despinois, and became an active member, then the president in 1991. He will remain as such for eight years.

At the same time as his professional life, he also passed his state diving certificates, 1st and 2nd degree. "I loved my job, but I wanted to be adventurous, to live outdoors... without a tie! But at the time, sport was not considered a serious profession. He took out loans and became a partner in 2000. He took over the reins of the company in 2007. A risk-taker? Philippe Bernardi moderates "It was a great period, everything was to be done... We lived the golden age here!

Today Espace Mer welcomes 5,000 "diving" clients per year and 4,000 for other activities (snorkeling, kayak-paddle and boat trips) that have been developed progressively over the past 12 years.

The four shareholders are salaried year-round and the center employs about fifteen seasonal workers between April and October.

I have no regrets, the most beautiful satisfaction is to enjoy the activity that we love; we are in one of the most beautiful places in the world with an exceptional wealth of wrecks nearby ... but it is 7 days a week and the regulatory aspect is heavy.

The Port-Cros National Park, for him :

It is first of all a philosophy. And what I like is when the philosophy leads to concrete action. This is the case with the Esprit Parc National product offer. But I think we are either in the spirit or we are not! For my part, I have always been very attached, as a professional, to be a field interlocutor for the National Park, because we work in nature on a daily basis, and we can witness its state and its evolution.

Gaspard Bollengier, a native of Lyon, arrived at Espace mer in 2001 to take a level 1 diving course gaspard Bollengier first studied sports at university before branching off into sports organization management.

"I came back to do my internships at Espace Mer; I then worked there as a seasonal worker and went to the Maldives for two months during the winter".
He validated his master's degree, passed all the diving levels in Hyères, before following the training courses and obtaining the 1st then 2nd degree diving state certificates and a captain's diploma. First job as an instructor? "I went to work for 10 months in Paris where we dive in pits. He returned to Espace Mer, was hired on a permanent contract in 2013 and joined the company as an associate in 2017.

Gaspard likes family hikes "I live in La Garde, we often walk in the massif of the Colle noire". He appreciates "the calm and the environment. We are lucky to be in a region that is not too built up and where the environment is well preserved".

What about work?

What I like is to share the pleasure of people who are amazed. It's very gratifying and it makes things easier and more enjoyable.

It is also very satisfying, during the baptisms, to succeed in making someone who was not at ease gain confidence and who, suddenly, can enjoy the moment.

For him, the National Park Spirit brand :

First of all, it's a guarantee of quality for people. We realize that more and more people know what a national park is, but for the vast majority, Port-Cros National Park is the island. So there is undoubtedly an educational need, and we plan to increase this awareness.