Split from Coral Bleaching - What are Sea Walkers?

[h90]

It's not easy to be "hard-core" eco friendly when it comes to scuba diving. Customers want to see creatures and part of the guide's / DM / Instructor job is to look for those creatures and point them out to those divers. Some animals are hiding under ledges, rocks and coral heads, others are living in / on live corals making it difficult or nearly impossible to point those out and yet still other animals live in burrows in the bottom and tend to disappear quickly when you come close.
Guides, DM's and Instructors use different "techniques" to show different kinds of creatures to their divers and many of those techniques are not very environmentally friendly towards the reef and the creatures on it. Unfortunately without using those techniques there often will be very little chance for a group of divers to see such creatures. Many divers want to see as many creatures as possible during a single dive and are unwilling to spend more than a minute or two with a creature at a time. Many divers also do not seem to know where to look or how to look for creatures themselves putting even more pressure on the guide / DM / Instructor to find and show the animals to them.

I think searching for animals and even teasing them doesn't do any harm. Opposite: if that brings enough money from tourists, the people are interested to keep the fishes there to attract tourists.
A bit sad that most DC in Thailand are owned by foreigner so that effect isn't as strong as in other countries.
Sad what you write about the Burma Banks!

 

[QBit]

A bit sad that most DC in Thailand are owned by foreigner so that effect isn't as strong as in other countries.

Those damn farang again, huh?
:theyareontome:

 

[h90]

Those damn farang again, huh?
:theyareontome:

No I meant that foreigners have less influence.
If the local police boss owns the DC and 5 locals from fisher families are the DM than they are able to protect the environment (and so their business) better than if the owner is British and the DM change every 3 month working without work permit.

Not a farang bashing, just they have less influence.

 

[Bowmouth]

I think searching for animals and even teasing them doesn't do any harm. Opposite: if that brings enough money from tourists, the people are interested to keep the fishes there to attract tourists.
A bit sad that most DC in Thailand are owned by foreigner so that effect isn't as strong as in other countries.
Sad what you write about the Burma Banks!

Although not always obvious, most animals in the sea are in a constant "battle" for finding food, shelter, a mate (or mates), protecting their offspring or home or finding a safe and good place to lay eggs or spawn.
When we distract those animals from doing what they are doing, there's a big chance they miss out on a meal, lose the chance to mate, become vulnerable to attack from predators or are unable to protect their eggs from being gobbled up by other animals.
It may in fact in some cases severely disrupt their lives for a moment and make their chance on survival a lot harder then when we had not disturbed them.

Also, do not forget that when we touch live coral, fish or other creatures there's a pretty good chance we remove unknowingly some of the mucous protective layers of those animals which may make them more prone to infections.

It really is better NOT to touch or disturb anything under water. I realize that it's a hard thing to do but it's something we all really should try to. Turning over rocks and coral, poking with sticks into animals, picking up and relocating shells / nudibranchs / shrimps and crabs / sea horses / frog fish and other animals, "playing" with anemone fish, cutting up sea urchins, riding turtles and chasing and grabbing (whale) sharks and mantas should never be done by any of us.
None of these things benefits the animals. On the contrary; it will often freak them out and compromise their general well-being and chance on survival.

I'm not sure if it's sad that most DC's in Thailand are owned by foreigners. Many of the foreign owned DC's employ a lot of Thai staff and run respectable and legal (tax paying) businesses. It becomes more and more common practice for foreign owned DC's (at least in Phuket) to employ Thai DM's and Instructors too. One of the problems is that most Thai instructors only speak two languages (mainly Thai and English) and can only teach in those two languages as well. Another problem is that there are still not enough professional Thai Instructors available who want a fulltime diving career and speak fluent English too. The diving industry in Thailand really needs multi-lingual instructors who can speak several languages other than Thai and English too to be able to teach dive students from Europe, Russia, Japan and South America to name a few.

At least, that's what I think.

 

[Dirty-Dog]

Always a touchy subject... I've had my hand on a turtles shell while swimming with it, but would never 'ride' one. I've handled a crab or two, but put them back where they came from. It's impossible to not interact to some extent. At what point does it become harmful?

 

[QBit]

No I meant that foreigners have less influence.
If the local police boss owns the DC and 5 locals from fisher families are the DM than they are able to protect the environment (and so their business) better than if the owner is British and the DM change every 3 month working without work permit.

Not a farang bashing, just they have less influence.

Well this is not similar to my experience.

I don't know why, but when I dive with locals generally they seem to be more concerened with making money than protecting anything, in Thailand too...

Possibly because the money is more connected to their surviving and feeding a family than just funding a "working holiday?"

But I have seen foreigners working for short terms "illegally," refuse to dive with customers who have touched things or disrespected the environment on purpose. Not just once mind you, but a few times.

 

[h90]

Although not always obvious, most animals in the sea are in a constant "battle" for finding food, shelter, a mate (or mates), protecting their offspring or home or finding a safe and good place to lay eggs or spawn.
When we distract those animals from doing what they are doing, there's a big chance they miss out on a meal, lose the chance to mate, become vulnerable to attack from predators or are unable to protect their eggs from being gobbled up by other animals.
It may in fact in some cases severely disrupt their lives for a moment and make their chance on survival a lot harder then when we had not disturbed them.

Also, do not forget that when we touch live coral, fish or other creatures there's a pretty good chance we remove unknowingly some of the mucous protective layers of those animals which may make them more prone to infections.

It really is better NOT to touch or disturb anything under water. I realize that it's a hard thing to do but it's something we all really should try to. Turning over rocks and coral, poking with sticks into animals, picking up and relocating shells / nudibranchs / shrimps and crabs / sea horses / frog fish and other animals, "playing" with anemone fish, cutting up sea urchins, riding turtles and chasing and grabbing (whale) sharks and mantas should never be done by any of us.
None of these things benefits the animals. On the contrary; it will often freak them out and compromise their general well-being and chance on survival.

I'm not sure if it's sad that most DC's in Thailand are owned by foreigners. Many of the foreign owned DC's employ a lot of Thai staff and run respectable and legal (tax paying) businesses. It becomes more and more common practice for foreign owned DC's (at least in Phuket) to employ Thai DM's and Instructors too. One of the problems is that most Thai instructors only speak two languages (mainly Thai and English) and can only teach in those two languages as well. Another problem is that there are still not enough professional Thai Instructors available who want a fulltime diving career and speak fluent English too. The diving industry in Thailand really needs multi-lingual instructors who can speak several languages other than Thai and English too to be able to teach dive students from Europe, Russia, Japan and South America to name a few.

At least, that's what I think.

My original posting was a bit misleading. Basically what I mean is that I prefer a DM who tease the animals over a shark fining boat. If it needs local tourists with helmets walking on corals, I still take it if in exchange there is no dynamite, cyanid fishing etc etc.
It is just the lesser evil.

 

[h90]

Well this is not similar to my experience.

I don't know why, but when I dive with locals generally they seem to be more concerened with making money than protecting anything, in Thailand too...

Possibly because the money is more connected to their surviving and feeding a family than just funding a "working holiday?"

But I have seen foreigners working for short terms "illegally," refuse to dive with customers who have touched things or disrespected the environment on purpose. Not just once mind you, but a few times.

In Thailand yes. In Tulamben (Bali) there is nothing the people can make a $ than diving. The dive shop owner told me recently there was a fisherboat and they took the GUNS to chase it away.
Thailand "their surviving and feeding a family": In Thailand is no one hungry. I would call it ignorance and greed and not struggle for surviving.
But things are changing: I saw that ASTV brings a show with Dr. Thon every week. Of course the poor won't watch that, but in Europe it also started with the wealthy.

 

[lord khram]

In Thailand yes. In Tulamben (Bali) there is nothing the people can make a $ than diving. The dive shop owner told me recently there was a fisherboat and they took the GUNS to chase it away.
Thailand "their surviving and feeding a family": In Thailand is no one hungry. I would call it ignorance and greed and not struggle for surviving.
But things are changing: I saw that ASTV brings a show with Dr. Thon every week. Of course the poor won't watch that, but in Europe it also started with the wealthy.

Agreed. all these things must start somewhere, and there is never an immediate solution to such problems, it will always take time to reach a satisfactory compromise.
People need to earn money and live, but it is essential that we protect the environment as much as possible, every last thing we do has some impact on the environment, and we should strive to minimise any negative effects. If we destroy everything now, how can future generations make a living from the marine environment.
In the meantime the ones that know better should lead by a good example. of course that will never include the irresponsible that just dont care.

 

[h90]

Agreed. all these things must start somewhere, and there is never an immediate solution to such problems, it will always take time to reach a satisfactory compromise.
People need to earn money and live, but it is essential that we protect the environment as much as possible, every last thing we do has some impact on the environment, and we should strive to minimise any negative effects. If we destroy everything now, how can future generations make a living from the marine environment.
In the meantime the ones that know better should lead by a good example. of course that will never include the irresponsible that just dont care.

Well the problem is overpopulation, so to many humans make more damage than the environment can regenerate. I think in the short time range the damage will get much worse. The 3rd world countries get more money and the "black" (actually the things are openly traded) market prices for protected animals are rising.
For Thailand I see a negative future unless there is a coup of with an environment friendly military dictator......
I see dark.....How many sharks are left in Thailand? They are fining Manta Rays. On Koh Payam they told me that they can eat Wale Shark......Where will this end?