How to react to bad diver etiquette (coral poaching/destruction etc)

[ontdiver]

A good reminder of the importance of comprehensive pre-dive briefings.....

 

[boulderjohn]

But just imagine you witness stuff like the following, could you really keep your cool?
Chinese Tourists Spark Anger With Coral Graffiti | Even More Thailand

I saw examples of this when I was in Bali. In fact, our DM took us to see it and vent his anger. He said he had no idea who was responsible, which brings me to my point: you really don't know what to do because attitudes and beliefs vary so dramatically, and what will work wonderfully in one situation will fail utterly in another. Here are some examples.

• In my experience, people who dive on shipwrecks come in one of two extremes only, with pretty much no one in between. You either feel that you got to see the wreck intact, and others should, too, or you believe that any diver should take anything in sight, applauding those who come away with the best prizes. Those in one group despise and ridicule those in the other.
• Dive operators/DMs vary dramatically in their willingness to enforce proper behavior. Here are two examples from my own experience to illustrate.
  • As we prepared to enter the water off a small boat in Cozumel, two of the divers attached goodie bags to their hips and pulled on their gloves as the DM watched. I finally told them that collecting specimens and wearing gloves were both forbidden in the marine park. They asked the DM if that were true, and when the DM said it was, they took it all off without complaint. The DM would not have said a thing if I hadn't brought it up, and once told about the rule, the divers complied immediately.
  • While preparing for a dive with Ocean Frontiers on Grand Cayman, two divers began pulling on gloves. The DM told them that gloves were not allowed, and there was a big fine for wearing them. They laughed at her and kept pulling them on. She got very stern and made it clear that if they were going to wear gloves, it was going to be with a different operation.
• Organizations and agencies have limited control over individual human behavior.
  • PADI's ownership is openly and fervidly dedicated to ocean conservation, and PADI materials sent to instructors emphasize that. Yet, ScubaBoard has been graced on a number of occasions by videos of PADI classes destroying the environment in shallow water dive sites like Blue Heron Bridge.
  • While I was exiting a cave in Mexico, I saw huge block letters spelling out GUE carved into the wall of the cave. As a cave training organization, there is no way that GUE would condone that, and I am sure that cave conservation is stressed in their training, yet there it was.

One thing I do is make sure any small protest or praise I make is amplified in any way I can. For example, a number of years ago, I was diving with Big Island Divers in Hawai'i, and the DM harassed an octopus mightily, creating a lot of ink. I switched operations, letting the management know why. I also cannot estimate how many times I have mentioned that story on ScubaBoard and other places over the years, as I just did again. Similarly, I have told the story of Ocean Frontiers in Grand Cayman requiring the divers to take off their cloves many times as well. I hope PADI instructors seeing my comments here may think about their own practices, and perhaps some GUE cave instructors will add emphasis to their training, perhaps even using my story as an illustration of what should not happen.

 

[TMHeimer]

Lots of good replies. I believe there was a long thread on this a long while back.
I would guess you can't do anything legally if what is being done doesn't break the law (ie. Marine Preserve, spear fishing limits, etc.).
I'm kinda selfish. I wouldn't say anything unless what's happening could affect my safety. I know every little bit helps, but I keep in mind the incredible growth of the Dive Charter business worldwide and bad stuff is always going on in multiple places. Plus, there is the aspect that overall ocean pollution probably does more than thousands of times the damage all the bad divers put together do.
When I collect shells from a charter (or even on a shore dive), I don't run up to the next diver saying "lookee what I've got here".

 

[DaveC]

I thought shell collecting was illegal. I am not trying to start an argument, just seeking clarification.

 

[boulderjohn]

I thought shell collecting was illegal. I am not trying to start an argument, just seeking clarification.

It depends upon the location.

 

[DaveC]

Oh ok, makes sense.

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

My reaction all depends on my relationship with local law enforcement.

 

[Cali_diver]

On a liveaboard I will usually talk to the Cruise Directors. At a resort I will talk to the manager. The guides are usually put in a hard position because the entire crew depends on good tips and people often base their tips on the diving. That being said it would have to be something blatantly wrong from an experienced diver because all you have to do is watch one turtle eating for about 5 minutes to know that those eco terrorists are way harder on the corals. I always try to help new divers to understand, but they are almost always super open to helpful advice.

Just this year...
We watched an older very experienced couple (but not good divers) use their muck sticks as reef hooks by stabbing them into sponges and then the heartbreaker was they broke a huge table coral. The CD was actually diving with them trying to stop the carnage but they were overweighted and refused to lighten up. They had these horrific florescent green wetsuits that came up filthy dirty after every dive and they didn't care. It was so sad. I felt so horrible for the CD.

Then there was the token dive shop owner who new everything with a full frame camera and strobes with no floats who just dragged her kit through the reef, while hitting and kicking a few divers in between. I did take a peek at her dome port out of curiosity and it was covered with scratches. I am still not sure how she teaches people to swim or dive.

Another was an experienced photographer who was laying on a huge hard coral like it was a lounge chair in order to get a picture of a Wobbegong under the ledge. My hubby physically lifted him off but not before I got a great picture of it!!

The list goes on, so I think I am just letting you know it is everywhere and you do what you can... Just remember Turtles are ECO - Terrorists!!

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

I was diving in Oahu off a rather large boat (a friend of mine was a dive pro on the island, and I had just become a DM). I witnessed a dive guide (instructor?) dig out an octopus to show to his students/customers. I physically released the octopus from him, wagged my finger in his face. He stayed away from me back on the boat.

It does come down to how far you are willing to go.

 

[ATJ]

Also be careful that you actually understand what is happening (much like the lionfish in the Carribean).

I was once diving off Sipidan Island with a group of divers. Someone spotted a lobster under crevice and there was a small queue of divers to photograph it, including me. While I was waiting I spotted a large and colourful flatworm on the substrate in front of me. I took a few photographs and then called the others over to see it. I gathered a small crowd only to realise the flatworm was gone. One of my buddies realised it had swum up and landed on my hand. I gently lowered my hand so it would come off and we watched it swim slowly down to the substrate.

While we were having lunch on the island after the dive, some very aggressive people from another group came over and started berating us for "interfering with the wild life". Luckily, one of our group was a lawyer (and who knew what had happened) and she put them in their place.