Every Action Counts

30/05/2022

Everyone enjoys being at the beach or diving at sea. Over the last years, that feeling never disappeared but trash and pollution made it bitter-sweet.
So what can we do? Our daily life habits can make a difference. Here are 5 tips for easy ocean conservation.

Stop Single Use Plastic

As simple as it seems, it's not that easy to stop using plastic. But you can at least be conscious about it and use less than you would before. 

• Always bring a reusable bag with you, so if you plan on buying something you can carry your things without getting a plastic bag.
• Bring mesh bags for your fruits and veggies.
• Bring a lunch box for takeaway food.
• Bring your own mug/cup when you grab a nice coffee on the street.
• Don’t use plastic straws, they are some nice alternatives like metal, glass, or bamboo straws.
• Avoid all kinds of takeaway if it's all wrapped in plastic.

 And of course, pick up the trash you see along the coast or underwater, if you can. It's always better to remove it if possible. Even if it's not much, it's better than nothing.

Sunscreen

Did you know that sunscreens are full of chemicals that are harmful to our coral reefs? We all want to protect our skin from the sun, but do we want to damage a fragile ecosystem? The answer is no. These 2 components called oxybenzone and octinoxate are proven to cause mortality in developing corals and other marine organisms. Some places, like Hawaii, officially banned sunscreen with these 2 toxic ingredients! Don’t just read the label, as we know brands like to trick us, but read the ingredient list. For more information do some extra research before buying.

Do Not Touch

The marine ecosystem is very fragile and sensitive. It’s one of the most magical places to be and explore. Freediving along corals, flying on top of seaweed, discovering caves and wrecks … the list is endless. You should do it while having the less impact as possible.

• Watch your fins! As an extension of our body, we don't realize how long they can be. Too many times your fins are making contact with things they are not supposed to. The more you practice, the more you’ll have awareness about it. Try to remember especially if you pass through narrow rocks or corals. A fin kick could easily break a small coral that took thousands or millions of years to grow.
• Don’t touch anything, nothing! Even if you don't see it on rocks and in wrecks, there might be some form of life on them. It takes a lot of time to grow and it might be microscopic. Do not touch fish and corals, our germs can affect them in a negative way. I know it's human nature to touch and feel, but we need to restrain ourselves. Conservation is more important, specially nowadays with all the problems and pollution. 
  
  
  

  
  Eco-Friendly Tour

  
  
  
  

Are you dreaming of freediving with orcas or whale sharks? All of this is possible but it can have an environmental cost. Eco-friendly businesses are growing, and they organize, let’s say, ethical tours, meaning they will not disturb the animals too much. It is almost impossible to be 100% ethical as we are going in their territory but we can at least do it in the best way possible.

What not to do:

-Chasing marine life with boats. Chasing means following them too close, trying to go around them so they change direction for us to see/interact with them. It's different than being on a boat close by and waiting patiently in silence for them to pass closer or not. Nature will choose, not us.

-Feeding marine life so tourists can enjoy swimming with them. This is terrible as it disturbs the animals' habits and behavior.

-Touching or grabbing animals.

What we are looking for are respect and patience. Look for knowledgeable people running a business, they might be researchers, activists, working for conservations, scientists. You will learn from them and at the same time enjoy the beauty of nature.

Eating Fish

This might be a controversial subject. We are not here to tell you what to do but to show you some facts about it.

Pollution: Ghost nets are abandoned fishing nets floating in the ocean, killing marine life getting caught in. These are silent killers, with no names on them, anonymous.

Overfishing: for decades our oceans are more and more empty. Sharks, whales, and tunas are in decline, serious decline. 

Bycatch: fishing nets do not select what kind of fish they will trap in them. That means some unwanted species get caught and die in the net and will not be consumed but thrown back at sea.

Farmed Raised Fish: they use a lot of chemicals such as antibiotics or pesticides to prevent deceases. These chemicals contaminate the water and the fish too. Why do you think a wild salmon and a farmed one don't have the same color?

For all the ocean lovers who care about conservation and want our kids to enjoy the deep blue as we do, we need to make effort individually. Every action counts!

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