Are You an Eco-friendly Diver?

As divers, we all love the ocean and all of us would want to preserve the natural beauty of marine life, as well as encourage it to flourish. But for this to happen, each one of us has to be reponsible for his or her own actions and must always take care when we dive.

Do you think you’re an eco-friendly diver? Try answering some of these questions:

• Pick up any trash you see or avoid throwing any rubbish?
• Are you careful of how you use your fins, avoiding any contact with coral or stirring up too much sand (which can smother coral)
• Do you remind the boat crews to toss the anchor only in sandy areas or tie up to buoys as much as possible?
• Do you avoid touching any marine life? Breaking off coral and grabbing onto turles, dolphins, etc. are definite no-nos!
• Do you refrain from taking souvenirs, such as shells?
• Do you ensure all your equipment is streamlined and do not hit any corals?
• Finally (and most importantly) - If you see any fellow divers doing anything harmful, do you tell them to stop and/or try to educate them?

If you answered yes to most or all of these questions, then congratulations! You’re a conscientious and caring diver!