Fez — Hajar Bouzaidi became the first Moroccan woman to earn the title of two-star diving instructor and reached a depth of 62 meters, a milestone presented as a national women’s record.

Bouzaidi has emerged as one of Morocco’s most striking women in marine exploration, breaking into a field long dominated by men and turning a childhood fascination with the sea into a career defined by research, discipline, and underwater leadership.

A native of Tetouan, Bouzaidi grew up close to the Mediterranean, spending much of her time between Martil and M’diq-Fnideq. 

That early exposure to the sea shaped both her personal and professional life. In remarks reported by Le360 on March 15, she described the ocean not simply as a landscape, but as a world that stirred her curiosity and invited deeper questions about what lies beneath the surface.

Science before spectacle

What makes Bouzaidi’s path especially compelling is that her diving journey did not unfold apart from academia, but alongside it. She holds a doctorate in biology and marine biology from Abdelmalek Essaâdi University in Tangier. Public academic profiles identify her research background in marine biology, aquaculture, fisheries management, and marine resources.

Bouzaidi’s scientific formation appears to have sharpened, rather than replaced, her desire for direct exploration. During her doctoral work, Bouzaidi reportedly began questioning why marine researchers often depended on divers to collect samples instead of entering the water themselves. That reflection helped push her toward diving as both a technical skill and a research tool.

She has also maintained a visible public identity tied to ocean advocacy and marine knowledge. A public profile lists her as an “All-Atlantic Ocean Youth Ambassador” for 2020-2022, while another identifies her as a doctor in marine biology and a CMAS instructor.

From learner to leader underwater

Bouzaidi’s rise in diving was built gradually. Her early immersions were demanding and unfamiliar, with fear slowly giving way to confidence through training, repetition, and self-belief. She later reached one of the most demanding stages of her development by becoming a “Guide de Palanquée,” a role that shifts the diver’s focus from personal performance to team safety and underwater leadership. 

Her progression did not stop there. After intensive training and more than 300 dives, Bouzaidi earned her supervisory certification in the presence of members of the technical commission of the Royal Moroccan Federation of Diving and Underwater Activities, according to Le360. That achievement cemented her place as a pioneer in Moroccan diving.

In the Le360 profile, Bouzaidi said she never seriously considered giving up, attributing that perseverance to a deep love for the field and for the constant learning it offers.

A vocation still unfolding

Bouzaidi’s ambitions now reach beyond personal records. The report says she hopes to help develop scientific diving in Morocco, especially to better train students and researchers in marine sciences and bring them closer to direct underwater observation. She also wants to continue exploring biodiverse sites in Morocco and abroad.

She cited a Red Sea dive where she swam alongside three shark species and dolphins among her most memorable experiences, describing it as a dream realized. The profile article also noted that she took part in scientific meetings and training programs in Egypt and Tunisia in 2023, receiving several honorary certificates.

Today, Bouzaidi is also involved in teaching, passing on her experience to both Moroccan divers and master’s students in aquaculture.