Am I being unreasonable if I believe that...

[berick]

This has always been one of my pet peeves. I can't count the number of times I've witnessed people with poor buoyancy control damage the reef to take a picture -- or swim into me while I'm hovering. On the other hand, I've also witnessed some of the most amazing buoyancy control/underwater contortions and protection of the reefs by some experienced underwater photographers. I've always thought marine parks should require underwater photographers to pass some sort of park specific buoyancy test before they could use cameras at a park -- something I'm sure will never happen. Nothing ruins a dive more than seeing someone trash a beautiful reef. Unfortunately, with the relative cheapness and availability of digital underwater cameras, it seems to be more and more prevalent on my trips.

 

[adurso]

Most people, the vast majority, when tactfully told will follow the lead and do as asked, sometimes they just don't know the harm they are doing and once they know happily comply.
N

This is the part that seems to be missing from some of these posts; a reasoned response involving educating those who may have made an error.

 

[highdesert]

It isn't cameras per se, it's a question of divers' attitudes, and awareness of their abilities. For example a less skilled diver (can't hover) can still shoot on the fly photo's of fishes or turtles in the water column, or limit themselves to sand patches as places to settle for other photo's.

Sometimes I dive with a p&s camera, sometimes without. Just wanted to point out that some dive ops known to have a high regard for preserving marine life (won't mention any names, like a well-known, fly-in resort in Indonesia that starts with a "W") look at walking/lying/kneeling or bare sand the same as doing it on coral ... a definite "don't do it." Reason being, there are plenty of little critters that call that bare sandy bottom "home." I was looking at one such critter and inadvertently settled belly down on the sand (I actually did have in mind staying off the bottom), when our guide promptly prodded me to get back up. Message understood. I guess the point is, a line or a piece of barren rock/structure is probably the only safe place to do anything other than the most minimal single-point contact with the reef/wreck/bottom.

 

[redacted]

Sometimes I dive with a p&s camera, sometimes without. Just wanted to point out that some dive ops known to have a high regard for preserving marine life (won't mention any names, like a well-known, fly-in resort in Indonesia that starts with a "W") look at walking/lying/kneeling or bare sand the same as doing it on coral ... a definite "don't do it." Reason being, there are plenty of little critters that call that bare sandy bottom "home." I was looking at one such critter and inadvertently settled belly down on the sand (I actually did have in mind staying off the bottom), when our guide promptly prodded me to get back up. Message understood. I guess the point is, a line or a piece of barren rock/structure is probably the only safe place to do anything other than the most minimal single-point contact with the reef/wreck/bottom.

With all the creatures that are suspended in surface waters, does this dive op reject propeller driven dive boats to avoid harming creatures in that environment?

I believe prohibiting touching the sand is a bit overboard.

 

[Airleron]

I can tell you that my husband takes pics on almost every dive, and has NEVER touched the bottom/coral, etc. If he needs to hold on in a current, he uses 1 finger on a rock. I don't know how he does it. The pics are spectacular (to me). My avatar pic "Bubbles" is one of his at the Blue Heron Bridge in Riviera Beach, FL, a few months ago.

 

[Puffer Fish]

With all the creatures that are suspended in surface waters, does this dive op reject propeller driven dive boats to avoid harming creatures in that environment?

I believe prohibiting touching the sand is a bit overboard.

Maybe because of things like this:

If one should not touch a reef, then not touching any bottom would seem reasonable..

 

[ScubaSteve]

Queue the following points (just a couple of paraphrased points that I have seen in other threads on this topic):

- OK so if it is not OK to contact the bottom in any way, how can you possibly shore dive?
- There is a thing called avoiding optional and avoidable contact (walking in is not optional in the case of a shore dive)
- People do less damage to the reef with one finger than someone walking all over everything to enter the water.
- What about the training excercises done on the bottom
- Training exercises are almost always in just a few spots, a "bad" photographer will plant themselves on the bottom 5-10-20-30 (or more) times on a given dive depending on the subjects.

This list could go on and on and on. This topic is never going to be solved as history has proven. There are people on both sides of the fence and neither is willing to meet the other in the middle. As far as I am concerned, some that have posted in here, are in fact right to some degree. We all have our opinions, and I for one accept that this issue will never be resolved.

Bottom line is, this thread will die off just like every other on this topic....people will just give up because it is .

 

[letterboy]

Hey, someone :whack: that guy for making sense please...
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[highdesert]

With all the creatures that are suspended in surface waters, does this dive op reject propeller driven dive boats to avoid harming creatures in that environment? I believe prohibiting touching the sand is a bit overboard.

I understand your point, but when you're in an area that is so dense with marine life, a part of it being macro critters with great camouflage abilities who live in burrows, and you're there to see aforementioned critters, it makes some sense to cut them a break. As an example, this area was my first experience observing a shrimp goby and his buddy in their burrow, which was a great thing to see. Better to watch them than lay on them. Same area, my first sighting of a pair of Pegasus sea moths, likewise barely visible on the gravelly bottom.

Certainly those of us short in the divine powers department need to walk on the bottom as opposed to the surface when shore diving, but does that same reasoning hold true at 70' sfw?

 

[SkipperJohn]

Maybe because of things like this:

If one should not touch a reef, then not touching any bottom would seem reasonable..

is that a drawing or did someone take that picture?
Besides, I think it would be kinda hard to step on a fish. Otherwise Les Stroud would get to eat better.