“WATER AND AIR, THE TWO ESSENTIAL FLUIDS ON WHICH ALL LIFE DEPENDS, HAVE BECOME GLOBAL GARBAGE CANS.” — JACQUES COUSTEAU
Blue Oceans (formerly Mission Deep Blue) movement supports the conservation and sustainable use of water, including the oceans, seas, coasts and waterways and their great diversity of plant and animal species.
You as a diver or as a not yet diver can make your contribution!
Environmental awareness:
- Commit to personally protect the environment
- Prevent others from causing damage through positive action and motivation
- Support useful projects and organizations dedicated to marine protection
- If possible, collect garbage on your dives – but only if doing so does not cause more damage to the environment
- If possible, cut hanging ropes and collect floating nets and plastics
- Inform your buddy or the crew on the surface if you were not able to remove the net
- Never eat shark fins, whale meat, turtle eggs, etc.
- Report immediately violations of the ban on the use of marine animals as souvenirs
Avoid Garbage:
- Never throw inorganic waste into the sea – Plastics decompose incredibly slowly
- Minimize the production of garbage: Use reusable coffee mugs and lunch boxes, glass or metal bottles and shopping bags
- Do not bring unnecessary packaging to the resort
- Dispose of your waste in as eco-friendly a manner as possible
- If you smoke, dispose of cigarette butts in the proper receptacle, not on the ground or in the water
Dealing with the underwater world:
- Only use a swim-through if you can do so without touching anything
- Don’t swim or snorkel too close to the reef
- Don’t touch or break corals
- Use labeled entrances/exits for the water
- Don’t disturb the sand, since it reduces visibility and smothers corals
- Don’t hunt or bother animals
- Don’t touch animals unless properly trained
- Don’t feed animals
- Don’t take souvenirs from the sea – broken coral pieces or empty snail shells still serve as useful habitat
- Only place a reef hook where it will not damage or disturb the reef
- Do not disturb animals or habitat to improve your photo opportunity
Responsible use of resources:
- Shower only as long as required to get clean, especially in areas with minimal ability to store/purify water
- Wash your equipment in the provided container, and only when necessary – often it’s enough to clean equipment thoroughly at the end of the dive trip
- Turn off the lights when you aren’t using them
- Use alternative transportation or walk instead of driving
- Avoid unnecessary waste – food plans and shopping lists help save you money, and prevent purchasing unnecessary food that may go to waste