Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
Agree. If I had some qualifications as a biologist etc. I may something. But as a regular customer just like them I'd express my concern with the owner or manager then on social media as was done and let them know you will not do business with them again. I don't have a lot of dive travel experience but in my two times on Provo it was stated in the briefing it was strictly hands off. Dive ops that have this view get my repeat business.I see your point, but you never know what Pandora's box you might be opening when you risk antagonizing a stranger. It probably won't be a big deal. But if you draw the (bad) winning lottery ticket out of the box of personality disorders, criminals, etc...
My point is, if you're going to confront people, you'd better have the diplomatic skills to handle making the intervention, and deal with the situational awkwardness if they don't change their minds and ways to conform to your views.
Richard.
Maybe I missed something on the turtle. I'm sure context would have made it more apparent but that turtle did not look in the least disturbed. They can motor a lot faster than a diver if they want to. That one was fining pretty nonchalantly.
Apparently some divers needlessly abuse marine life. Some go to the other extreme and would tar & feather you for touching anything. In all my experiences diving and assisting classes in Nova Scotia I almost never witnessed a diver/instructor talk about "take only pictures...." But I'm sure it is a much bigger issue in the tropics where there are so many more divers visiting the same attractive sites.The behaviors described by the OP did not seem to be harmful at all. It was a wreck site, not a sensitive coral reef or marine sanctuary. Marine life is generally very resilient. I guarantee you the starfish suffered no ill effects.
Maybe I have a different perspective because of my years as a commercial lobsterman in Maine but I think the OP is being very over-sensitive.