Code of Conduct for Diving with & Photographing Pygmy Seahorses

[DazedAndConfuzed]

I had somebody on our trip that had a doctors note so she can wear gloves on every dive because she is allergic to shrimp, even though it is all marine park and no gloves are allowed. With the gloves on, she ends up grabbing onto things that one would otherwise not grab when shooting pictures. Asked why she was wearing gloves and was told of the potential allergic effect of touching something (who knows what it got to do with shrimp being consumed). But if she didn't have gloves, she wouldn't be grabbing onto the corals thus she wouldn't be contacting anything in the first place to get an allergic reaction.

 

[vladimir]

Asked why she was wearing gloves and was told of the potential allergic effect of touching something (who knows what it got to do with shrimp being consumed).

It is possible for somebody with a shellfish allergy to have a reaction to touching shellfish. I support these glove prohibitions, generally, but that's easy for me--I don't touch anything, so I have no use for them in tropical water. (I will put a pair on if the dive plan includes a down line.) Some people feel very strongly the other way, however.

 

[Tropicalwolf]

You either have ethics or you don't. All the supposed "rules" in the world don't mean a damned thing.

 

[under water]

You either have ethics or you don't. All the supposed "rules" in the world don't mean a damned thing.

Ethics by itself is never enough. Some education is also needed.
In most cultures, even ethics, as it's called, are based on some "rules" that were taught early on.

In this case, I would consider these as guidelines and treat them that way. Perhaps a red light would be OK for instance (not saying it is, but maybe some data shows that.) Even though the author got his phD on "the biology and conservation of pygmy seahorses " there are probably refinement that can be made.

New divers are rarely aware of the fragility of their environment and must be educated. Some would have us believe that we must act underwater in a way that if done above water would preclude walking on grass, boating or driving off-road. Care must be taken in both environments and his "code of conduct" is a good set of "guidelines" to start a discussion.

 

[DazedAndConfuzed]

It is possible for somebody with a shellfish allergy to have a reaction to touching shellfish. I support these glove prohibitions, generally, but that's easy for me--I don't touch anything, so I have no use for them in tropical water. (I will put a pair on if the dive plan includes a down line.) Some people feel very strongly the other way, however.

What I implied to her was, don't grab corals for every shot you take. Obviously she thought she can grab anything now since she has gloves on. At least try to use a little buoyancy control to stay steady and use a finger if you need to. With the glove on, its like who needs to worry about what she touches and goes on to touch everything.

 

[weeksd]

He doesn't even follow his own code of conduct for not using strobes in his seahorse pics. Check his website. Strobes were used. The rest of his code of conduct is just basic common sense which is good.

 

[under water]

He doesn't even follow his own code of conduct for not using strobes in his seahorse pics. Check his website. Strobes were used. The rest of his code of conduct is just basic common sense which is good.

I think that is a rule you added. Not using strobes is not on his list. Maybe though, just maybe, some of his best pictures were his 6th or 7th

 

[vladimir]

Yeah, macro photography without strobes would be quite a challenge, to say the least.

While I have always been compliant with the rest of the list, I exceeded the 5-photo limit to get my pygmy sea horse shot. I do think it's a good rule though, and will follow it the next time I photograph one. It'll be a good test of my skills.

 

[Centrals]

When I first started diving 15yrs ago I didn't meet too many divers with camera and those with were more or less very competent divers.
But nowadays........even the ow students have camera!!!! And if they have to take a picture of a Pygmy Seahorse, you better swim somewhere else and don't look back.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

My only two pics of pygmy seahorses were both taken while drifting in current in Komodo. The first one I didn't even see the thing ... I just aimed the camera where the dive guide pointed and found it in the uploaded picture. I still can't figure out how he saw it ...

The second one was considerably more visible ... but once again I got one shot as the current was taking us past the gorgonian ...

Both of those were taken with a little cheapo point-n-shoot (Casio Exilim) and no strobe ... not sure I'd have been able to deal with anything more complex in those conditions anyway ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)