Useful tips for responsible and eco-friendly snorkelling

snorkelling

Protecting the environment is essential in every aspect of your life. That is especially true when you’re travelling or exploring sea life. Leaving no waste after you, picking up if you find any plastic in the ocean and leaving the sea creatures be are some of the many meaningful steps in exploring the underwater world in an eco-friendly manner. Once you decide to snorkel with the seals or sunbathe before you swim, you can contribute to a more sustainable vacation. Check out in what ways you can snorkel without endangering the environment.

Refrain from touching the sea life

When you go snorkelling, you will come across multiple fascinating creatures. Precisely because of their beauty, you will have the urge to touch them. Are you adventuristic and want to chase a stingray? Do you maybe feel like riding a sea turtle? Leave your maverick spirit behind when you explore the water world if you plan to stay eco-friendly. Some animals will get scared and potentially flee their habitat because of the disturbance humans cause. That can severely disturb the balance of nature. So, don’t touch turtles or any large fish. The same goes for corals. They are fragile living organisms, growing slowly, which means they need peace and no disturbance from curious humans. If there were no corals, no reefs would exist either. Therefore, keep your hands to yourself when snorkelling close to reefs. Don’t be the person to break a finger of coral and put the growth years back instead of allowing them to develop. Moreover, if you touch a fire coral, you will be at risk of burning your skin, not just endangering the creature.

Avoid stepping on underwater meadows

Swimming is often exhausting, making snorkellers pause by standing on the reef. Not only is stepping on the reef dangerous because you risk stepping on the stonefish or sea urchin but also, it’s destructive for the reef. If you pay attention, you can see large porous corals that ended up bare on top because of people stepping on them. Furthermore, snorkellers can damage and destroy seagrass beds vital to ecosystems. Look for sandy areas when you feel the need to rest after a long snorkelling session.

Snorkel and only look at sea creatures

Montague Island is one of the best snorkelling destinations in the world, offering fascinating marine life and crystalline waters to explore. Characterised by a unique wildlife experience, Montague Island features thousands of fur seals and breeding seabirds, among other animals. When you decide to snorkel with seals on Montague Islandit’s vital to only observe the marine life without trying to feed them. Take pictures if you’d like, by do not offer food to any underwater creatures. That will modify their natural behaviour, causing dangerous changes in their life habits. By endangering the fish, we also risk endangering our lives eventually. If you try to feed rays and sharks, you also risk getting bitten or stung by them if they sense danger.

Remove plastic if you see any

marine life

We’ve witnessed garbage and waste being disposed of in the worst ways around the globe. Unfortunately, one of those ways is tossing plastic into the oceans. One of the best ways to practice eco-friendly snorkelling is to remove all the plastic waste from the waters whenever you encounter it. The marine ecosystem is seriously endangered by plastic waste, so do your best to help it remain safe and healthy. Did you know that there are approximately 8 million tons of plastic dumped into the world’s oceans annually? Many species end up digesting the plastic, which further contaminates the food chain. Eventually, humans end up eating creatures that had eaten plastic. Sea turtles are at risk of suffocation from plastic bags because they appear as jellyfish.

Snorkelling can be very exciting and beneficial for your health. However, if you’re not being eco-friendly in the process, you risk endangering the environment and harming yourself. Humanity does not have to suffer because you want to have fun. Snorkelling can be equally exciting even if you practice sustainable activities. Don’t touch the sea creatures or feed them, avoid stepping on the reefs and try to remove the waste from the waters when you come across it. Your planet will be very grateful.

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