Buoyancy means protection.
The underwater world is overall much more sensitive and fragile than what it appears to be. Any carelessness in our underwater movement could have devastating results in the life of sea creatures. Our responsibility as divers is to always make sure that we have a hydrodynamic position with all of our hoses and cables tucked in neatly. If we want to take pictures underwater always be wary of your surroundings so as not to cause any damage. Having an absolute control of our body, our movement and making sure that we avoid any kind of contact with anything that resides underwater must be our number one priority.
I am never just a diver, I am a role model.
On a daily basis we have new divers being certified thus increasing exponentially the overall number of divers worldwide. Regardless of the certification level as well as the diving experience that one possesses, all divers with no exemption should make sure that they are well behaved while underwater making themselves examples to follow and not to avoid. That includes all interactions with our environment whether underwater or not.
Protecting the underwater life is our number one priority.
We do NOT touch, hunt or feed anything underwater. We always make sure that our actions do not cause tense or aggressiveness and never interrupt any kind of underwater activity that is taking place during our time of visit. We always make sure that we have an understanding of the animal and plant behavior of the place that we choose to visit and of course we always follow any local laws and regulations.
When exiting the water leave only bubbles.
We follow a basic rule of underwater behavior: From the ocean and the sea we take only photos, memories and garbage and leave only bubbles.
Do not exit the water empty handed.
The garbage volume that reaches the sea is immense. Unfortunately litter can now be found even in the most remote places of our planet. Where there is garbage concentration underwater life is ruined and with it the local economies connected to it as well as the general welfare of the local population. Divers’ contribution can be life changing. During our every dive we have to try to remove everything that does not belong underwater making always sure that we protect ourselves during the removal. Record and log all items. Our diving behavior should be characterized as ecological while supporting local economies.
Choose responsibly what you consume.
Threatening decline in many ocean species comes as a direct result of overfishing while illegal fishing practices cause irreparable damage to the underwater world. As consumers we must understand how important our choices are in protecting all sea life. As divers we can choose what to consume based on whether the species is in decline or not and at the same time we can educate friends, divers and not just, as well as, restaurant owners to do the same.
Divers can be the strongest proponents of the ocean. Especially today divers such as you choose to make their voices heard. We choose to talk about the importance of protecting all underwater life, we choose to share our underwater pictures and of course we point out any significant changes or damages that we may detect to local environments and dive sites that we visit often, to local authorities. We fight for what we love!
We choose to be eco-tourists.
Whether we decide to take a diving trip or not we have to be conscious regarding our travel destination. The hotel selection with a socially and ecologically responsible operation has to be our number one priority. We now have the ability to check whether a hotel manages its waste disposal, water and energy consumption correctly and at the same time it complies with all local laws and regulations but traditions too.
Minimize your carbon footprint.
Carbon dioxide is the gas with the biggest impact in global warming. As a direct result the planet’s temperature increases and the planet’s oceans become more acidic. Understanding the mechanism behind this phenomenon and the role that we humans play in the procedure can really help decrease our own negative contribution.
Give back what you can.
Our planet’s oceans and seas depend solely on our actions and initiatives! Our participation in ocean protection programs whether this means our physical participation or our donation can allow us to continue a way of life which we all love and our main concern is to protect and preserve. Learn, protect, dive!
Source: Project AWARE