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