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Green Fins’ Divers Guidelines

If you are a scuba diver or snorkeler you can help save coral reefs by following the Green Fins’ guidelines, as follows:

BEGIN WITH YOURSELF

• Support coral conservation by choosing a resort and dive operators with care and being a “green consumer” with your money.
• Choose dive operators that are environmentally friendly such as those that display the “Green Fins” certificate.
• Choose environmentally conscious hotels and dive resorts
• Strive to improve your diving skills
• Practise skills away from coral reef areas.
• Learn about coral reefs and other animals that live in the reefs.
• Adopt environmentally friendly practices.

ON THE BOAT

• Choose dive operators that make use of available moorings. Anchors can destroy fragile marine life.
• Prevent the introduction of rubbish and toxic substances into the marine environment by ensuring all waste is well stowed and disposed of responsibly.

IN THE WATER

• Do not touch, stand on or rest on coral and other marine life, even when wearing gloves or booties. Some are very delicate animals; you may cause them harm, and some can hurt you.
• Maintain a comfortable distance from the reefs to avoid contact. Be careful when you enter and exit the water to avoid destroying coral.
• If wearing flippers, be aware of where your flippers are: Do not stir up sediment or damage coral.
• Take nothing – living or dead – out of the water.
• Do not chase, harass, ride on, feed or handle marine life.
• Enter and exit the water away from reefs.
• Make sure your equipment is secure at all times.
• Maintain neutral buoyancy; practise good finning to avoid accidental contact with the reef and stirring up sediments.
• Look, but do not touch!

TAKING PICTURES

• Photography and video equipment are cumbersome and affect your mobility and buoyancy in the water. It is easy to touch and damage marine life when focusing on subjects.
• Develop advanced skills to prevent contact with marine life.

ON LAND
Support conservation projects by:

• Paying user fees for recognised programmes and areas that support coral conservation, if applicable.
• Filling in wildlife sightings forms when available.
• Volunteering your skills for beach clean-ups and other marine environmental activities.
• Do not purchase souvenirs made from coral or other marine life – it is environmentally unfriendly and often illegal.

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO?

• Learn about coral reefs and other marine animals that live in the reefs.
• Spread the word – tell your friends about these simple but important conservation practices.

Adapted from Green Fins’ guidelines for divers and snorkelers.
www.greenfins.net

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