11 Responsible Snorkeling Tips – Eco and Reef-friendly practices
If you love the ocean and observing its beautiful creatures, you may want to know how you can contribute to preserving this beauty so that even future generations can enjoy it. This is why we created this responsible snorkeling guide, where we collected the most essential tips. These include best practices and do’s and don’ts that will help you discover our waters in an eco and reef-friendly way and explain how to minimize your impact on marine ecosystems.
Our oceans are in danger, and their reefs are dying. The biggest threats are related to human activities such as plastic pollution and overfishing, but we, tourists, also contribute to this degradation. As traveling has become more accessible and it has gotten simpler than ever before to reach once-remote destinations, nature is declining, with our waters and marine life being the most affected. But what can we do? How should we behave not to destroy our waters while still seeing its wonder? This is what these responsible snorkeling tips will teach you!
Do Not Touch The Corals
Not touching corals is not only an essential snorkeling safety tip, but also one of the most critical pillars of marine life viewing guidelines. Despite seeing such signs at almost all popular snorkel spots, I still see, sadly, many people ignoring this. Therefore, I mention it first.
The safety aspect of this rule is simple: you might hurt yourself. Some species, like fire corals, have painful stings, while others can cause rash, burning sensation, or skin irritation. So, keep a safe distance from corals for your safety.
On the other hand, touching them might damage the coral too. Corals are tiny animals (polyps, actually) that slowly grow into huge reef structures and are very fragile. The oil from your skin can damage the corals’ natural protection system, and the entire colony can get diseases or, in the worst cases, die.
Do Not Damage The Reef
It is your responsibility not to damage the reef by breaking corals. Still, many snorkelers do this by standing on the reef or breaking corals.
Standing on the reef is dangerous in numerous ways. The sharp coral can cut your foot, or you can easily step on a stonefish or sea urchin, causing painful injuries. Last but not least, you can break the coral. To avoid such situations, learn how to control your buoyancy. Make sure you can easily stay afloat when snorkeling. If necessary, use a snorkel vest or a snorkeling raft.
Of course, you may need to stand because you get tired, your legs start cramping, or there is an emergency situation. In such cases, search for a sandy area with nothing to damage or break!
I also often see people breaking corals with their fins. This, however, is very easy to avoid. Be comfortable with your fins and practice the proper finning technique to avoid breaking corals while swimming around them. Your snorkeling fins should be powerful but not too long, so you will be less likely to harm the coral or other animals.
Never Chase Sea Creatures
I understand that you get excited when you finally spot a turtle or stingray and wish to get close to the animal, but keeping a safe distance is crucial for your and the creatures’ safety. Some places have introduced strict laws and imposed hefty fines if people insult marine life, but not the possibility of being fined should hold people back from chasing sea creatures. First of all, people who snorkel or dive need to understand why keeping a safe distance is essential.
Chasing the animals frightens them away and can cause them stress and anxiety so that they will be afraid of people. Moreover, some species may attack when threatened, leading to dangerous situations. Therefore, always keep a reasonable distance and warn others to do the same.
Do Not Feed The Fish And Other Marine Animals
Reef fish and sea creatures are not pets, so you shouldn’t feed them. I often see snorkelers who carry bread and corn to feed fish or lettuce to attract turtles. Honestly, I never understood this behavior because it is not a responsible way of snorkeling.
Feeding ocean creatures with food that doesn’t belong to their natural nutrients changes their behavior and can make them sick. If you see others feeding fish or turtles, explain to them why it is not good. Also, don’t participate in tours where any feeding is included.
Pick Garbage If You See
Ocean plastic pollution is something we all need to care about. The fact that there will be more rubbish in our waters than fish by 2050 is more than shocking. No place is left where you don’t find garbage in the water while snorkeling or diving. Therefore, cleaning our oceans should become a critical ocean and reef-viewing rule.
My tip is to carry a mesh bag to collect floating rubbish and remove everything (fishing lines, nets, etc.…) that shouldn’t be in the ocean. Try to use less plastic in your everyday life and also when traveling.
Wear A Rash Guard Instead Of Using Sunscreen
Sun protection while snorkeling is very important, but most sunscreen contains chemicals such as oxybenzone that harm marine ecosystems. We advise you to invest in good-quality UV clothing (rash guard) that protects your skin against harmful UV rays.
We use long-sleeved sun shirts, UPF50+ leggings, and UV headbands while snorkeling; this is the best way to cover your skin from head to toe, so you can skip or minimize the use of sun care products. On the few uncovered areas, you can apply mineral sunscreen.
Tip: Our in-depth sunscreen guide explains the dangerous chemicals and how they damage coral reefs!
Stay Quiet And Move Slowly In The Water
You might have already noticed that the ocean’s animals hide between the corals or disappear when a boat engine runs or there is anything loud around. Unnatural noises, shouting, splashes, and vibrations in the water frighten the creatures away and make them scared.
To observe sea creatures in their natural state, try to stay unnoticeable: move slowly around and stay quiet so your presence won’t be threatening. Choose a snorkel set that fits you and learn to use it properly so you won’t have to struggle in the water with your equipment. Dealing with a foggy mask, leaking snorkel, or uncomfortable fins causes noise that scares creatures away and ruins your experience.
Be Informed On The Place and Its Marine Life
Responsible snorkeling also means that you have some basic knowledge of the place you are visiting and the creatures you can see at the given point. It is highly recommended that you talk to locals or read location-specific snorkeling books/online guides that provide information on water conditions you need to pay attention to, such as currents or tides.
Check if there is any regulation you need to be aware of, such as areas where swimming is prohibited or if you need to carry a marker buoy with you. Also, get some marine life guides to identify the species you see and read interesting things about their behavior, such as feeding or mating habits.
Don’t Take Anything
Imagine how quickly our oceans would be empty if everybody took home just a tiny piece of coral or shell. These creatures belong to the sea, so leave them there and don’t disturb the sensitive underwater ecosystem by removing its components. Don’t buy souvenirs made of shells, coral, or sea stars. Take only photos home!
Choose Eco-Friendly Tour Operators
Sadly, most snorkel tour organizers care only about the profit, not the environment. Therefore, we ask you to research and choose an operator who offers responsible snorkeling trips and respects the ocean and marine life.
An eco-friendly snorkeling trip may cost slightly more than an ordinary, just-for-profit group tour. Still, if your money supports small businesses that care about the future, it is worth paying some extra bucks. Sustainability is the key that leads to long-term success!
Don’t Share All Locations Online
Did you find a secret snorkeling spot with stunning corals or rare marine life? If so, keep the information for yourself and don’t share it on social media.
We know this may be weird to read here, as our purpose is to help people find good snorkel spots. Still, sadly, we have entered an era when a viral social media post can create such a massive tourism influx to once-hidden spots that nature gets wholly ruined in a very short time. This has already happened in many places, such as Maya Bay in Thailand or Boracay in the Philippines, where authorities needed to step in and introduce restrictions (or even close the place temporarily) so nature could recover.
Don’t get us wrong; we still encourage you to go out and explore the wonders our Earth has to offer, but again, be responsible and don’t share everything online, especially if you have a big following on social media. People who are like-minded and willing to walk the extra mile will find those secret spots anyway, but those who don’t care about the environment and come to take some Instagram-worthy pictures are better off not knowing the hidden gems.
Conclusion
Snorkeling is one of the most eco-friendly and sustainable ways of discovering the underwater world and connecting with sea creatures, as it can be done without any fuel-powered accessory vehicle. However, everyone entering the ocean should act responsibly and follow some essential rules not to harm the ocean ecosystem. The most important ones are not touching or damaging the reefs, not chasing or disturbing the creatures, and not polluting the water with debris or chemicals. If we all snorkel eco-consciously and follow reef-friendly best practices, we can contribute to preserving the wonders of the oceans so that even future generations can observe them.
Should you like our tips and find them helpful, please share this post with your like-minded friends!
Inspired? Pin it!
