How to Dive Like a Conservationist and Help Our Oceans

If you’re a diver, you love the ocean. You’ve also probably recognized that our oceans, and their inhabitants, are in danger. Plastic pollution, rising temperatures, and over-tourism have destroyed reefs and marine life around the world.

Not only are the oceans crucial to the health of our planet, but they are integral to everything we do as divers. Whether diving is a job, a hobby, or your entire life, every diver should be an advocate for our oceans. We’ve put together a list of easy ways to dive like a conservationist and help our ocean every time you enter it.

Understand the reef and marine life

Diving like a conservationist means understanding the ocean and learning from every dive. Before entering the water, it’s good practice to educate yourself about the dive site. Become familiar with the ecosystem, currents, and marine life. By understanding the environment, you can make observations throughout your dive. What are the human impacts at this site? Are there any interesting habits of the marine life here? Use your time underwater to learn, grow, and protect.

Master your buoyancy

Buoyancy is an essential skill that is often overlooked. Make sure that you are properly weighted and comfortable under the water. Not having control of buoyancy can lead to crashing into coral, especially in more challenging conditions like surges and currents. Buoyancy should always be your first priority, especially before taking photos or practicing bubble rings. Having good buoyancy is usually a prerequisite for volunteering in marine conservation.

Make your dives count

 If you’re going to be spending time underwater, consider ways you can help while you’re down there. If you thought there’s nothing better than diving, try diving to make a difference. There are organizations around the world working on projects to help our oceans. Volunteer with a marine conservation project to make sure your dives count toward something bigger.

 Blue Corner Bali hosts coral restoration workshops throughout the year. Marine conservation volunteers learn about coral biology and reef restoration from our co-founder and marine biologist, Andrew Taylor. Participants help with our ongoing coral restoration project while enjoying the pristine diving around Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida, Bali. 

Don’t touch or take anything from the ocean

When we enter the ocean, we are a visitor in other species’ home. If you remember that, you are more likely to treat the environment and marine life with respect. Always keep your hands to yourself, not only for the safety of the marine life but also for your own safety. Corals can be sharp, some animals are poisonous, and others will bite if they feel threatened. 

Another rule of thumb is to leave everything where it is. If you see a beautiful shell, enjoy it, take a photo, and leave it be. It can become a future home for a crab, snail, or octopus. The one time you can break this rule is if you see trash…then take it with you!

Avoid single-use plastic

Plastic is responsible for killing over one million marine animals every year. About 8 million tons of plastic is thrown into the ocean each year. At this rate, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050 – and who wants to dive in a landfill?

Indonesia is one of the top countries that mismanage plastic waste. This means that a large amount of plastic marine debris ends up in the ocean. Keep that in mind when you are diving in Indonesia or any other small island country. In Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida (Bali), there are easy ways to ditch the plastic and help the community.

On dive days, make sure you have a reusable water bottle with you. Most dive shops will provide free refills on the boat so guests don't need to carry single-use bottles. In general, adopting reusable products, avoiding plastic packaging, and supporting forward-thinking companies will help immensely for the future of our oceans.

Use reef-safe products

Chemicals found in our products, like sunscreen, can cause problems from our oceans. They can contribute to coral bleaching and can be toxic to marine life. In popular dive destinations, like Indonesia, the number of visitors entering the ocean with harmful sunscreen on their skin has done irreversible damage to ecosystems that were once colourful and full of abundant marine life.

Fortunately, several destinations have implemented bans on toxic sunscreen, like Hawaii and Palau. Even if there are no specific rules, it’s good practice to always use mineral-based sunscreen.

Use your voice to help our oceans

Every person’s voice matters. Each individual has an influence in their network, including their families, friends, and colleagues, who care about what they have to say. Even if you can inspire just one person to make a change, that action can be amplified to their networks, and so on.

As a diver, you know a part of the world that many people will never see. Use this knowledge to spread awareness around the underwater world and why we need to protect it. Whether it’s through pictures, writing, social media, or conversation, your voice can make a powerful difference.

Enjoy every part of the underwater world

You’re not always going to have a perfect dive – maybe the current was too strong, or you didn’t see the wildlife you flew hundreds of miles to see. Embrace every bit of it. The ocean is unpredictable, and that’s why we love it!