Lessons to be learned....

[Cozoholic]

Sort of curious...

While diving in coz last week I noticed someone from my group touching a gorgonian (sp). He wasn't overly abusive towards it, just sort of brushing his finger over it...I COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT I WAS SEEING....What would you do? Topside, I wanted to give him a lecture on touching corals blah, blah, blah...But didn't want to have a fight with someone that I'd be diving with for the rest of the week. BTW, DM was doing a safety stop with the couples kid. Makes me even more mad because these morons are teaching their 13 y/o to dive. What else are they 'teaching' him?

This family also had flashlights on every dive - they flashed their light in every nook and crevice of the reef - Drove me nuts. Heard a story that they were shining their light directly into the face of a splendid toad. I wasn't there....I didn't see it - but I trust the source and wouldn't be surprised at all.

I learned (while in Coz the first time) NOT TO TOUCH ANYTHING. NOT EVEN THE SAND...Is that excessive? I get freaked out when I come close to anything - even the sand because I know the sand is 'living'...What about starfish, cucumbers is that stuff sort of like 'petting zoo' stuff? Where can the line be drawn?

Really sort of urks me, because there is no excuse - Am being naive in assuming these people know they aren't suppose to be touching the life ?

 

[Tim Ingersoll]

This is a sensitive subject. It seems most know not to touch but most can't help themselves. I myself will admit to touching a turtle and a moray eel. Knew it was wrong and could not help myself. I have also never known a DM who didn't lure out a splendid toadfish or bring out an arrow crab with a slate pen, etc., etc. The line seeme blurry at best. Some say do not touch anything (clearly the better policy) and some say its okay to touch if you do no harm (clearly not sanctioned but sometimes hard to argue with when its a DM doing it).

 

[Cozoholic]

Oh...and let me add...

Not sure where we were - but there was a BLIND DIVER on the reef !!!! He had gloves on and was 'feeling' the corals up....Whats up w/ that....?! Isnt that sort of an oxy moron? Diving/Blind?
I couldnt believe what I was seeing !

 

[ggunn]

Oh...and let me add...

Not sure where we were - but there was a BLIND DIVER on the reef !!!! He had gloves on and was 'feeling' the corals up....Whats up w/ that....?! Isnt that sort of an oxy moron? Diving/Blind?
I couldnt believe what I was seeing !

I have no response to that, other than WHY? I mean, I try to be sensitive to folks with disabilities; I could be one of them some day. However, I cannot for the life of me understand why a blind person would want to dive, much less how safe it would be for someone who can't read their gauges.

 

[Hooked4Life]

I have no response to that, other than WHY? I mean, I try to be sensitive to folks with disabilities; I could be one of them some day. However, I cannot for the life of me understand why a blind person would want to dive, much less how safe it would be for someone who can't read their gauges.

this person was accompanied by two other divers 'showing/feeling' the corals....Just because your blind doesnt mean you should KILL THE CORALS ! Which brings me back to NEVER touching anything.

Becky (not Will)

 

[ckofabq]

Which brings me back to NEVER touching anything.

I certainly wondered when a DM motioned for me to put an urchin on my opened palm. I took a pass, though nearly everyone else in our group took a turn. We've all surely watched as someone tried to hitch a ride on a turtle. Again, not for me. In fact, anyone who's been diving in Hawaii has most likely been told it's against the law to do ANYTHING that affects the turtles, even their natural swimming course. Pretty good rule to follow, I'd think.

 

[Cozoholic]

Funny....

My better half and I were talking (If we were DM/Operators) and he said he'd give them one warning, and if they didnt listen he'd stick them back on the boat...I said, I'd tell them on the boat not to touch anything and if they did - I'd bring them to the policia

 

[PlanoDvr1]

I have no response to that, other than WHY? I mean, I try to be sensitive to folks with disabilities; I could be one of them some day. However, I cannot for the life of me understand why a blind person would want to dive, much less how safe it would be for someone who can't read their gauges.

Might be he was a diver who went blind. If I went blind I probably would want to be as close to the person as I was before.

 

[sharky60]

This is probably one of those posts that will end up with 65 pages as everyone has an opinion. The simple truth is the entire reef system of Cozumel is a protected underwater park and the rules and regs are very clear about 'no touching'. DM's will stress this before dives and then go down and handle many critters, but it's thier job, thier country and they have experience with these creatures and know what is safe and what isn't, the 'average' on vacation diver doesn't. I'm sorry, but it's true.

Having said that, many of us do touch things, being a volunteer diver and educator at the Dallas Aquarium, I touch and handle fish and critters all the time, it's pretty neat to hold a 3' long 30+lb. amazon armored catfish as you hand feed it!! I've also been a scuba diver and studied the ocean and it's inhabitants for 25 years. When I'm diving for real, I really have to restrain myself from touching as much as I want. When I started diving, people weren't as ecologically minded as we are nowdays and handling animals and actually collecting shells and coral were common place, this is just not done anymore. Many places like Hawaii were nearly shelled out, you were hard pressed to find an adult sea shell by the late 80's in Hawaii, and these creatures do not grow fast!

I do have to plead guilty though, I've pet a couple sharks, ('sharky' remember) and occationally other fish if they are being friendly, mostly let them nibble at me trying to fend me off from thier territory, picked up shell animals and hermit crabs, sea stars and urchins and had DM's hand me most of the above. These animals are not going to die just from being touched...CORAL IS! You can stress out a turtle just by touching one so as much as it is temping...please don't. Besides those guys can pack quite a wallup of a bite it you p#$$ one off!!

I'm not even getting into the blind diver discussion as being PC is not my forte other than to say, I just don't get it, diving too much a visual thing.

I also usually wear one glove on my left hand and anchor myself in the sand sometimes when taking photos, no Michael Jackson jokes please!! I also make VERY sure I'm only in sand and not disturbing plants or animals while doing this.

Best policy is to follow the law and don't touch anything on your own, if a DM hands you something and you don't want to handle it, don't, if you do, it's on his watch and the consequences are his.

Whew! one of these days I'll figure out how to write a short post!!!!

 

[Hooked4Life]

Ok....So what would YOU do if you saw someone touching something - if your an average diver - NOT the DM....


Becky(Cozoholic) - (NOT Will)