AGE has proved no obstacle to Rosita Ortega achieving her dream of getting up close and personal with a marine turtle at the Great Barrier Reef.

Rosita jumped at recent changes at ProDive Cairns that allowed 10-year-old children to receive open water dive certification.

She made the trip from the Sunshine Coast to Cairns last week to learn.

Dive instructor Lockie Clark said Rosita was his youngest pupil and a natural.

“She loved it. (She was) asking questions, it was super good,” he said.

“We went from blowing bubbles in the pool on Tuesday to night dives with sharks and turtles on Friday.”

A natural mermaid and keen surfer Rosita is passionate about protecting the Reef.

“I am doing a project on the Great Barrier Reef and (diving) has come from that. I have heard you can get really close to turtles,” she said. 

While in Cairns, Rosita also took a trip to Fitzroy Island to volunteer at a Reef Restoration Foundation coral nursery project.