Reef Etiquette
by Robert Rattner
Without realizing it, many well-intentioned visitors—from novice snorkelers to experienced scuba divers—harm the very reefs they are admiring. By knowing some basic rules of the reef, you can avoid damaging fragile coral.
Look but don’t touch. Do not break coral or collect anything from a reef. Do not stand on coral heads. Scuba divers should be careful when descending to avoid stepping on or brushing against coral. Not only are fragile coral polyps easily killed, damaged areas are susceptible to parasites and disease. At Garrafon Reef in Mexico, snorkelers must wear life vests—not just for their own safety, but to prevent them from diving down and knocking into coral. To remove the temptation of touching the sharp reef structures, snorkelers and divers at Anse Chastenet in St. Lucia aren’t allowed to wear protective gloves.
Avoid stirring up sand and sediment—something very easy to do with your flippers—which can settle on corals and kill them. Snorkelers should float horizontally, keeping their feet off the bottom. Scuba divers should learn good buoyancy control.
Use your consumer clout. Before you go snorkeling or diving, ask about reef protection practices. Some of the worst damage to reefs comes from boat anchors being dropped and dragged over coral heads. Any place regularly visited by boats should have permanent moorings for boats to tie up away from areas with living coral. Dropping anchor directly on reefs should be strictly prohibited. In some places, dive operators have put in their own moorings, but it is essential that governments require it. Let tourist boards, dive shops, and hotels know that you will not visit unless they do not allow anchoring on coral reefs.
Be sure your captain is experienced. A lot of damage is done to coral by boats colliding with or scraping across the top of reefs, especially at low tide.
Make sure that no waste or trash goes overboard.
Back on shore, do not buy souvenirs or other products made from coral, shell, or other reef life. Instead, consider buying other handicrafts, such as woven baskets, that help support local communities in non-damaging ways. Let tourist boards know that you consider how well countries protect their reefs when choosing where to travel.
Zoogoer 30(4) 2001. Copyright 2001 Friends of the National Zoo. All rights reserved.
