Respect for Marine Life - what were you thinking?

[del_mo]

Unfortunately anyone with a little skill can be certified. The persons behavior has a lot more to do with their upbringing than what they learned in class. Some people have little or no respect for others, let alone marine life. I think what AquaDuck did is the best you can do...undo what another has done. Talking to these people probably will make them wonder what YOUR problem is.

 

[wylerbear]

I know an instructor who warns all of her students that she will not certify anyone who touches any marine life. She of course goes into a good explanation of "why not touch". If more instructors followed this guideline we'd have a much higher percentage of new divers who know better and who have been exposed to the why nots of touching marine life.

 

[Jason B]

At Ginnie Springs a guy I just met decided to take his knife out and carve his intitials into the rock inside a cavern.

Did you turn this schmuck in? It's against Fl State law to deface caves.

 

[AquaDuck]

wylerbear bubbled:
I know an instructor who warns all of her students that she will not certify anyone who touches any marine life. She of course goes into a good explanation of "why not touch". If more instructors followed this guideline we'd have a much higher percentage of new divers who know better and who have been exposed to the why nots of touching marine life.

This is actualy the precise position my wife and I take when teaching our students also. I have in the past warned certified divers on my trips that if they were to "do that again" they would have successfully bought themselves a "left on the beach" ticket. But mostly, as you said, we found their ignorance stems from bad examples set by their mentors and instructors. Throw in a little arrogance when they've done a few dives and start thinking they're now Navy Seals then the knives get strapped on the calves and well, I guess it's not that far a jump for them to start treating the reefs and marine animals like they do their dogs at home.
We've always strived to promote a sense of conservation en respect for the environment and as such often find that explaining the consequences of interfering with the ecology usually illuminates a whole new world for the ignorant ones to learn from. That said, I also only warn once, thereafter I reason they should have learnt and should take full responsibility of punishment either by defense of the organisms themselvesor the local authorities.

 

[drbill]

I've posted on this issue in other threads here. As a marine biologist with 37 years of diving in SoCal kelp forests, there are species that are touchable and those that are not. Handling a warty sea cucumber would generally be fine as long as one did so gently. Killing a sea urchin with a knife just to feed fish is, IMHO, not OK.

I often touch marine life that I know that easily tolerate gentle handling. I do so to verify identification or to film them or their behavior for the purposes of educating divers and the general public. I don't see a significant problem with touching species you are familiar with and know the degree to which they can be handled safely.

However, most divers are not marine biologist (and many are very poor at species identification) so I always suggest people not touch unless they are very sure about what they are doing.

I try to limit my touching to my female dive buddies... if they'll let me!