Mike McKinnon

Mike is one of only seven active SSI Instructor Certifiers in Australia. This is the highest professional level you can achieve through the SSI system. Having dived in over 12 different countries and certified well over 800 people from Open Water level through to Instructors, Mike has a wealth of knowledge that puts him at the top of his profession.

ENVIRONMENT: BEING AN ENVIRONMENTLY CONSCIOUS DIVER

November 1, 2021

When you start your diving adventures, one of the most important aspects is understanding of the environment and learning respect for it. With just a bit of knowledge about the environment, being an environmentally friendly diver can leave a positive impact. Especially with each year diving becoming more and more popular all around the world, there are many things which can do to reduce the problems caused when diving.

BE CAREFUL

If you touch the physical environment, you will upset the ecosystem which can cause long-term damage. As a diver it is important that you maintain buoyancy control so that you can avoid crashing into coral and marine life.

WATCH YOUR FINS

Be cautious of your fin kick as it can do a lot of damage to marine life. If you’ve noticed that you’ve hit the corals with your fins take a moment to stop and look at your fins and take a stroke with your hands to get away. Fins can damage the underwater topography and sensitive coral reefs. Finding a good technique is vital to make sure you leave your dive location untouched.

NO TOUCHING

Many divers are now using gloves as a means of protecting their hands. However, with this, divers are also encouraged to touch the reef. This should still be avoided even with gloves as the physical impact can lead to ecological damage.

INTERACTIONS AND RESPECT

The manner in which you dive can have the same impact on the marine species as deliberate or accidental touching. Chasing marine species such as Turtles, Grey Nurse Sharks, or an Octopus can cause a great deal of stress.

THE ONLY SOUVENIR YOU NEED IS PICTURES

We like to say that a picture isn’t worth anything if the reef gets damaged in the process of taking it. Check out a few tips and tricks to prevent corals and marine life from getting damaged when taking underwater photos on one of my previous blog posts HERE

DO YOUR BIT WITH EVERY DIVE

You would be surprised at how much rubbish litters our oceans. Every time one diver brings back a piece of rubbish, that is one less item that could have a potentially dangerous impact on marine life and their environment.

Leila Barnsley
Scuba World Instructor
1000+ dives