Guidelines for the responsible diver

Longitude 181 Nature's Responsible Diver Guidelines

This is just a guide. It is not a list of restrictions! These proposals must be considered on a case by case basis, because the diving sites and the particular circumstances of each site are very different. Its aim is to encourage everyone to question themselves and develop the best possible diving conditions for preserving and sharing the benefits of the sea fairly.

1 - Prepare for your trip

Travel agencies and diving centres do not all offer the same services. Some make efforts to protect the environment that they help you explore and share the natural resources more equally with the local population. This is more expensive for them and for you, but, together you will contribute to the sustainability of our planet. The price of your dives should not be the only selection criteria.

• Select a travel agency that follows ethical guidelines.

• Preferably choose Responsible Diving Centres that are concerned with the protection of the seabed (recycling of waste and waste water, use of buoys for mooring) and that invest in the development of local infrastructures.

• Enquire about the marine ecosystems that you will be exploring.

• Obtain information on the people of the country you are going to: traditions, economy, resources.

2 - Before diving.

• Get back in shape. .If you have not been diving for a while, practise controlling your buoyancy: lung ballast, weight jacket, optimised weighting.

• Find out about the dive spot you are exploring before you go, as this will allow you to get so much more from your dive. You will not be just a passive spectator in a world in which you cannot speak the language. Learn to read the first pages of the big marine life book. If you can identify the animals and know how they behave, you will know where to find them. Much of this incredible fauna is hidden.

• Ask for an explanation of the ecosystem from your diving centre

• Ask for a list of endangered species, a list of protected species, and the rules concerning them.

• Find out about action taken by the diving centre for protecting the underwater environment (mooring buoys...)

3 - On the boat

• Never throw anything overboard.

• Refuse plastic plates and cups which take many decades to break down.

• Ask for bins to be put on deck for you (if you really have to smoke) to dispose of cigarette butts (they take months to degrade), plastic waste, aluminium cans, etc...

• Make sure that safety regulators are well fixed, as well as consoles and pressure gauges, so that they do not hang in the water and do not catch on fixed flora or fauna that could be damaged

• Choose short fins, that are less aggressive.

4 - Diving

• As soon as you are in the water, remember to check your ballasting, and adjust if necessary.

• Remember to fin slowly, so that you don't hit fixed marine life

• Avoid contact with fixed plants and animals. They are fragile and can be destroyed by repeated shocks.

• Don't take anything, except pictures.

• Do not bother the animals. If they take refuge in their hiding-place, do not force them out - they are stressed enough already. Wait without moving until they calm down and come out again.

• Do not feed the fish. This will modify their behaviour and unbalance the ecosystem.

5 - After diving

• Try not to waste fresh water. It is the most valuable commodity on Earth.

• Ask for equipment designed to conserve fresh water, like: wash tanks and controlled flow showers.

6 - During your trip

• Explore outside of the diving centre and the hotel : There is an entire world out there waiting to meet you.

• Do not buy souvenirs taken from the sea: shark teeth, tortoiseshells, starfish, sea horses and other dried fish, coral and shells.

• Boycott restaurants that serve shark fin soup, turtle, whale and dolphin meat, as well as fish caught using destructive methods (dynamite, cyanide, etc..)

• Ask the waiter how the seafood on the menu was caught , and what agreements they have with the local fishermen.