What cool things? (I hesitate to ask this...heh)

[mattiedread]

Spotted owl is much tastier than whaleshark, try it in a pan with bumbleberries. (I've never had either).

I'm not preaching from a PETA perspective, and, under the same circumstances (grabbing a whale shark in the Galapagos) I would probably have a difficult time not taking that ride on Senior Big. I'd like to think I wouldn't do such a thing right now, but, I am a human. Ironically a falcon hit a mourning dove at my birdfeeder today... (if the birdfeeder hadn't been there for a year, would the falcon have even been in the neighborhood?... it is not the first time a bird of prey has hunted on my birdfeeder)... If a tree falls in the forrest...

At what point do we say, "Hey, take only picutures, and leave only bubbles."

And, what does that truely entail? Does grabbing a whale shark (who didn't know I was there) even count? I mean, from his perspective that was 'zero impact' (as opposed to lobster launching, where the crustacean is in a primative fear for his life).

I was a guide in Colorado for a few years, incluceding that "Zero Impact" campaign (late 80s). I thought that whole thing was a bit ridiculous (pack out your feces?!... and put it where? In a plastic bag?!?).

But, the fact remains that we should (must?) consider our impact on this planet... and I don't think we really do.

Funny sidetrack here. An friend who was a native of Alaska and a mechanical engineer did a 6 week stint above the artic circle for the DEP (in national wilderness). Upon his return there was a 'gentleman' from Washington who had never been west of the Mississippi. He asked my friend (a guy I backpacked with twice over a 5 year period) where his excrement was. Technically (legally, when dealing with a federal agency), my backpacking buddy should have had it with him. His reply: "I didn't take a @#*%". Good answer, in my opinion (although, one could argue: he left more than bubbles).

I don't pretend to be any better at preservation/conservation than anyone else (but, I do compost my organics). Even so, that is so small relative to the impact our species (humans) has on this planet. Just look at how we have polluted internet bandwidth.

What should a true environmentalist do? Dig a hole and compost him/herself? Where is 'the line'? ... If a tree falls in the forrest...

 

[steeldiver]

Most divers are kicking up enough of the bottem
still to encorage them to touch things.
Ive often lectured guys on disturbing the wildlife
and they just move on and dive with a dive leader who
likes to play frisbe with the abelone,feed the fish pick up every animal of interest.
I sugest if regular diving is not exiting enough for you take down some bored games .
One cool trick to do on a dive is to take a fruit juice down with you .You know the boxed type. Then enjoy a refrshing drink along the way.Warning the deeper you are the bigger mouthful you get on one sip.
HOWARD

 

[PhotoTJ]

Well, I guess it depends on why you dive. If you are hunting, (for food, not trophys, which I consider pointless), you are gonna interact with some marine life.

TJ

[COLOR=darkblue"You cant grill it, till ya kill it!" - Ted Nugent[/I] [/COLOR]

 

[Charlie99]

steeldiver once bubbled...
One cool trick to do on a dive is to take a fruit juice down with you .You know the boxed type. Then enjoy a refrshing drink along the way.Warning the deeper you are the bigger mouthful you get on one sip.
HOWARD

I do this regularly. Both the box and the baggie type work well. I haven't noticed that depth has any effect since they don't have any gas inside and they compress as you drink.

On the other hand, those half liter plastic bottles are difficult to drink from without getting a lot of saltwater after the first few gulps.

It just occurred to me that it would be pretty cool to take a plastic half liter bottle down, fill it with air, seal it up, and launch it from 130'. I wouldn't want to be next to it when it explodes.

Charlie

 

[ColdH2Odvr]

One of my earliest dive experiences was a night dive at a local park. My experienced dive buddy had spotted some den litter and was checking it out. I had no clue what he was doing so I hovered over him to see what was so fascinating. After peering into this hole for a minute or so, good buddy that he was, he looked up to check on me. He reached up and pulled a tentacle from my shoulder, showed it to me and asked if I was ok. Turns out, while he was looking in the hole and I was looking over his shoulder, the octo was sitting on my tank looking over my shoulder watching the whole thing. I looked down and he was wrapped all the way around my waist and crotch (one big damn octo). I had no clue how long he had been there. Glenn (dive buddy) gently pet him on the head until he moved off. Spread out in full search he had a 7-10 ft span.

That one octopus cost me more in dive gear than any dive shop salesman, after that I had the dive bug and had it bad.

Dave

 

[Reeflover]

I dive to enjoy the beautiful sights and to "watch" the many species of fish etc., interact with each other. I don't touch anything or disrupt anything while I dive and this has been my own personal philosophy since I started diving. We are entering their home as observers (I hope). I would be pissed if someone came into my home and decided to pull me off my couch, toss me around the room and poke fingers in my face.... for fun.

Even what some consider to be "harmless" touching can have consequences, since touching some sea animals can cause disease and infection. Corals and sponges can be very sensitive to any kind of touch.

If being proud of your accomplishment of being a certified diver, seeing beautiful underwater sights that most people will never see, and having the memories and/or photographs of your experience aren't enough, then you might want to do something other than diving.

Reeflover

 

[FallenMatt]

ScubaToneDog once bubbled...
I take a can of Easy Cheese with me. Its fun to squrt out a few Cheese worms for the Carp and Walleye, and even the little craw dads in the quarries.

you mean like this: ?

(no, it is not me on the pic but i was there)

 

[FallenMatt]

ScubaToneDog once bubbled...
I take a can of Easy Cheese with me. Its fun to squrt out a few Cheese worms for the Carp and Walleye, and even the little craw dads in the quarries.

Or this:

 

[double125's]

I once seen a person in a shallow river who had a bass following him so he would lift up rocks and catch the crayfish under them, then he would feed the bass

 

[ZoCrowes255]

scubasean once bubbled...
A friend of mine told me recently that one of the things he did when he was first diving was to pry a mussel off of a rock and hold it in the water for surrounding fish to eat it out of his hand...

Realizing that some folks would say this is wrong because it disturbs the natural order of life...etc. etc. I'm interested what other folks have done that made scuba even more fun than just comingling with the sea life...

Some folks try to draw animals out of their holes, etc.

What do you do? How?

Thanks,

Sean

Take only pictures and leave only bubbles. My personal philosophy although I have been known to have a little (harmless) fun with the marine life.