How To Enjoy Snorkeling And Diving Without Causing Damage To Marine Life

Dipping down below the waves to catch a glimpse of the underwater world is a magical experience. As incredible as scuba diving and snorkeling can be, many participants (unfortunately) make detrimental mistakes that could hurt the marine ecosystem extensively. In fact, a whopping 88% of divers accidentally make adverse contact with something in the ocean at least once per dive (as reported on the UN Environment Programme website). When thousands of people each inflict a little damage, it can have devastating impacts on the marine habitat. 

Despite this concerning figure, it's still possible to visit the most stunning snorkel locations in the United States and beyond without causing any destruction. All it takes is a bit of preparation beforehand and mindfulness during the adventure to be a responsible visitor in the depths of the ocean. Avoid becoming a part of the percentile that harms marine life when they get in the water by following these crucial guidelines on your next snorkeling or diving trip. 

Pretty much every well-prepared traveler includes sunscreen on their packing list for the beach, but many don't worry about the ingredients of the brand they're picking. While you should always protect your skin, you might want to rethink using a basic sunscreen when you're diving or snorkeling. Every time you get into the water, the cream stealthily washes off into the ocean. This results in approximately 14,000 tons of sunscreen (as reported in Science Daily) melting off vacationer's skin and into the sea annually. 

A startling amount of sunscreens are loaded up with chemicals that can be detrimental to the underwater ecosystem. A few key ingredients to keep an eye out for are octinoxate, avobenzone, and oxybenzone. According to the National Ocean Service, these components can do nasty stuff like hinder green algae from undergoing photosynthesis, demolish coral reefs, lower fish fertility, and clog up dolphin tissues. 

Alternatively, stick with a sunscreen that strictly contains zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. If you're being extra cautious, certain people ditch the sunscreen completely and physically cover their skin instead. One diver broke down their reasoning for this in r/scuba, stating, "Reef safe sunscreen is a better option but not all "reef safe sunscreen" really is non toxic to the reef. Also not to introduce any pollution (even if it is not extremely toxic) is always preferred. My SO (predoc in marine biology) never uses any sunscreen before diving and so do I. We use physical sun protection instead (e.g. depending on the need, long sleeved shirts, hats and shemagh)."

A dive center is your shaman for taking courses to get you scuba certified, receiving local advice, and renting equipment. As such, it's extremely important to work with one that behaves responsibly. Even if you do everything right yourself, partnering with a lackluster dive center can still inflict damage on marine life and put your own safety at risk. One diver shared a story about using a subpar dive center in r/scuba, writing, "I went on an unguided tour in Florida where they just drop you off the boat and pick you up when you come back up. Me and my wife didn't know how strong the current was and we came up almost out of sight of the boat. We waved our fins at them but couldn't tell if they could see us so we just started swimming. Swimming against the current in full scuba gear is not something I'm keen on doing again." 

There are a few tried-and-true methods of finding a reliable dive operator. You can get direct recommendations from your friends in the community and diligently read through reviews on the internet or dig around on diving forums to narrow down the best option. One individual specifically recommended a forum website called ScubaBoard for insight, explaining in r/diving, "Beyond that, check scubaboard — the community there is great and can give you referrals and suggestions and most members are helpful and encouraging of baby divers." Before you commit, double-check that the center is officially certified by a diving association, such as Scuba Schools International or the Professional Association of Diving Instructors.

The best way for a beginner to scuba dive like a pro is to become fully familiar with their gear before ever stepping a toe in the water. Knowing your gear like the back of your hand keeps both you and the ocean's wildlife safe during your dive. Generally, the basic equipment you'll need for a diving session includes stuff like a regulator, a wetsuit to keep you warm, fins, a face mask, and a buoyancy control device. 

For snorkeling, it's a bit less confusing, as you'll just use flippers, a mask, and a snorkel apparatus. You should go through every single piece of gear to understand its exact purpose and how to safely use it in the water. It may sound simple enough, but even a slight misstep can cause irreparable damage. 

It's equally as crucial to educate yourself on diving guidelines before attempting to explore the ocean. One of the most important is buoyancy control, which is your ability to float or descend in the water. Divers can control their buoyancy by letting out air from their buoyancy control device (BCD), using the proper amount of weights, and using strategic breathing techniques. Without mastering this skill, you may not be able to control where you're going in the water and could run right into delicate sea life. 

There is one thing above all that divers should absolutely never do while they're in the ocean. You should never touch anything while you're snorkeling under any circumstance. Even a slight graze with something under the ocean can wreak havoc on the aquatic environment. A momentary touch can kill colorful coral by spreading bacteria to it and easily hurt animals, even if you're attempting to be gentle. It can actually be considered a criminal offense to try to make contact in certain situations.

Besides the fact that you could cause deterioration with your touch, there are also tons of dangerous creatures that you could encounter at the beach. As one person explained on Quora, "During a group dive in the Philippines we came across a pair of octopus twirling in the water together, as we approached they settled on a pile of rocks. One of the divers reached out with her finger towards one of them, I grabbed her wrist when it became apparent that her finger wasn't going to point, but touch it, as the blue rings on the octopus started to show. If she touched it, it would probably have bitten her and she would be dead." When you're bopping around the waves, it's basically impossible to differentiate between the harmless and deadly animals. For everyone's sake, it's just better to appreciate these ocean organisms with your eyes alone while you're diving.

Let's say you come across a seal while you're scuba diving in the vastness of the ocean. This can be a beautifully memorable experience from afar, but if you get too close, it can quickly turn risky.  Many sea creatures can become understandably aggressive when they start to feel vulnerable, primarily as a way to protect themselves. 

Putting a safe amount of distance between you and all the animals swimming around makes it possible to appreciate them without scaring them. On average, snorkelers are asked to stay at least 50 yards away from most species, like turtles, porpoises, sea lions, and dolphins. For reference, that's approximately half of a football field. You should double that distance if you ever spot a whale because these big guys require even more space. 

Maintaining this room ensures that you won't accidentally be knocked into an animal by the unexpected push of a wave. One individual shared their experience with this in r/snorkeling, explaining, " I was startled by very close encounter with sting rays. The sea was rough and I was swept too close to them. Didn't see them until the very last moment." Keep in mind that you're visiting these creatures' homes, and you need to do everything in your power to leave them undisturbed. 

It may seem like a kind gesture to offer the fishes a bite to eat while you're down there, but this is extremely unwise. Giving away meals like this can seriously disrupt the delicate balance of the ocean environment and put you in unnecessary danger, too.  As one individual in r/scuba pointed out, "it is potentially dangerous for the animals. Animals can become habituated to human interaction and feedings. Animals that get too pushy can end up being culled out of concern for human safety. Animals that learn to congregate for feeding stations are easily preyed upon by both natural predators and human anglers."

In that same vein, you should never do anything else that could stress out underwater creatures, like chasing them around. As you can imagine, a human rapidly swimming toward them can feel very intimidating for a little fish or turtle. One person on Quora recommended, "To avoid scaring fish while snorkeling, move slowly and smoothly through the water, avoid sudden movements, and try to blend into the environment by wearing muted colors."

Taking a moment of relaxation from swimming by standing up on a reef or in the shallows seems innocent enough at the moment, but it's a subtly hazardous move. Coral reefs are immensely fragile, and resting part of your body on it can hurt it in numerous ways. It could break a piece off, damage their feeding mechanisms, or even encourage coral bleaching by interfering with the algae. 

Your feet can also be a problem if you stand on the sand or go crazy kicking it all up with your flippers. There are quite a few species of sea creatures who inconspicuously camouflage themselves under the ocean's sediment, such as stingrays, and making contact with the ocean floor could terrify them. Mindlessly stirring up the sand also disrupts the ecosystem by covering coral in granules and making the water too murky for fish to properly hunt. Not to mention that every other diver around will despise you for ruining their visibility as well. 

Everyone wants to capture a memento on film of their snorkeling session. However, you shouldn't be memorializing your trip at the cost of the aquatic species swimming around you. As harmless as snapping a photo seems, it can be extremely disorienting to these creatures if you use the flash. Consider how you would feel if a random blinding light beamed in your eyes out of nowhere. 

One study (reported by Scubadiving.com) that looked into the effects of a momentary flash on seahorses discovered evidence to suggest that photographers getting super close and setting off their flash appeared to vex the animals. Certain species of fish can be so stunned by a flash that they become frozen and way more defenseless against predators. One experienced diver on the ScubaBoard forum also stressed, "octopus and other cephalopods are very light sensitive and can be blinded as well as put into traumatic shock because of intense exposer to light sources. Pay attention to the species of fish you are shooting."

While taking a shot with flash doesn't permanently incapacitate these beings, it disturbs them enough to be a problem. Many people find that they can still achieve superb photographs without using their flash and distressing the animals anyway. As one Redditor in r/underwaterphotography divulged, "I've never used a flash underwater while snorkelling and I've got a lot of great photos."

It can be quite tempting to grab yourself a sea shell souvenir from your snorkeling trip. Many local shops at diving hotspots even sell these sorts of things as keepsakes, which can make people think that it's okay to take a few for themselves. However, this desire should be curbed at all costs.

As one person, it might not feel like taking a single measly shell from the beach would have any effect, but when thousands of people do this over time, it can be cataclysmic. Especially when you consider that there are entire operations to harvest them as tourist souvenirs. According to a 2015 study looking into the results of large-scale harvesting operations (available on PubMed Central), full portions of the seabed can be completely cleaned out of shells.

Another study that took place at a beach in Spain over the course of three decades (reported in The Guardian) showed that the amount of shells there diminished by a mind-boggling 60% while the rates of tourism during the same period rose by 300%. These sea shells are a crucial aspect of the underwater ecology, and their disappearance can cause major problems over time. It leaves animals who need them for protection totally exposed, and it can even contribute to shoreline erosion. When it comes down to it, that souvenir just isn't worth it when you consider all the repercussions.

While it's obviously not all from snorkelers, an estimated 8 million plastic fragments end up in the sea on a daily basis (reported by Surfers Against Sewage). As visitors to the environment, divers and snorkelers need to do their part to reduce this waste as much as possible. At a bare minimum, this means taking all your trash with you to leave no trace behind. Many divers take this responsibility so seriously that they actually work with organizations to help clean up underwater debris during their dive.

For instance, an alliance called Dive Against Debris gathers PADI-certified divers together to clean up the ocean. Their ultimate goal is to eliminate 50% of the waste at their sites by 2030, and anyone with the proper diving experience can participate. One person in r/scuba  shared, "Part of a group that does underwater garbage cleanup. In the PNW. Pull about 10,000lbs a year out. Now if people would stop tossing there trash into our ocean and lakes. That would be great ... "

Even if you're not a part of an official clean-up crew, you can still help out by picking up trash whenever you find it. Another individual on the same post in r/scuba said that they've collected so much trash on their own that they've accumulated three bags full of it so far. If humans want to continue snorkeling the seas, they must do everything in their power to reduce their waste and leave the ocean environment as untouched as possible.

If there is one action that can keep you and the marine life around you safe while you're diving, it's to always remain calm. There are a lot of potentially scary situations that you could run into under the water, but freaking out will only make things worse. Even if you get swept up by a current, struggle with buoyancy, or see a shark while you're scuba diving, you must stay composed and in control. 

Overreacting could draw attention from a predator and put you at risk. Alternatively, it could cause you to accidentally knock into something like a fish or coral in your panic and do damage. While it can be difficult to ease your mind when you're met with a stressful snorkeling scenario, there are a few approaches that can help out. PADI recommends divers to get a full eight hours of sleep and eat a small breakfast before a dive to operate to your full capacity. 

One person in r/scuba urged an anxious newbie diver, "Really get into the feel of being present underwater and build that confidence with your gear where it's much safer. Then as you add depth keep that relaxed feeling with you. Practice meditation especially when diving and soon it will just become a relaxing hobby. But give yourself time and grace to conquer that anxiety. Bringing that anxiety deeper is a bad mistake, so conquer it first." Being secure in your skills and having calming techniques helps keep you and the ocean creatures safe no matter what happens. In an unexpected circumstance, you'll be happy to have a reliable coping mechanism.