| 27 June |
Minimising Environmental Damage By Diving Responsibly |
While diving, it is important to be aware of the environment, your body placement and equipment in use. A lot of damage to coral reefs can be done unintentionally by hitting the corals or dragging equipment, spending a bit more time to become aware of your surroundings and also swimming with care and grace will reduce the opportunities for this. Coral is very fragile and can be damaged when knocked about, the coral is also very slow growing, so to hit accidentally, knocking bits off it takes time to grow again, causing long-term damage to corals.
At all times you should be aware of, consider and respect the aquatic life around you. Sea life can get extremely stressed when interfered with, you should avoid touching, feeding and handling creatures as this can disrupt the feeding and mating behaviours of these creatures. Many sea creatures do not pose as a threat to humans so ensure you do not cause stress to them.
It is recommended to avoid the collection of souvenirs, and other objects underwater. Areas may be very quickly destroyed because of the collection of corals and shells, etc. In popular destinations, it will lead to areas known for their beauty, to become very limited and damaged. If you appreciate the beauty of the underwater world, leave it that way for others to enjoy and take your camera diving and capture the beauty and respect the environment instead.
If you notice any damage or destruction while you dive, you must report it. This could be something from strange substances in water to seeing a shoal of injured/ deformed fish in the region. If you are unsure about whom to report it ,then please let a local dive centre know and they will contact the organization necessary for example, environmental officials and other Authorities. This could prevent further destruction, and even save many lives; even small changes are worth relaying to the necessary authorities.
You should always be a role model to fellow divers, if you appreciate the beauty of the oceans then you must also respect it and help keep it clean, if everyone did this then we will be able to see the beauty for many centuries to come. Being a role model is important as people will notice your good attitude and respect for the sea they should follow suit, especially divers as they can witness for themselves the damage already done.
For those that are interested in helping the environment and marine conservation check out Phi Phi Dive Camp, they have many projects currently running in order to protect the sea life and coral reef in Thailand. As well as conservation you can also look at Diving Phi Phi
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