Page 477 - (DK) Ocean - The Definitive Visual Guide

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Diving Tourism

The pioneering work in 1943 of French divers Jacques
DIVING ACTIVITIES
Cousteau and Emile Gagnan in creating scuba
(self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) WRECKS It is not just the
living world that attracts
moved diving away from being the domain of the divers. In some parts of the
military, scientists, and a privileged few and opened ocean, such as here in the
Caribbean, the sea floor is
up the wonders of the underwater world to a wider
littered with wrecked ships.
public. Although there is an element of risk—diving Exploring the hulks can be
like traveling back in time.
is still classed as an extreme sport by many insurance
companies—a vast array of training agencies and
courses exist to assist the potential diver in taking
up the sport safely. In line with the increased
REEFS Coral reefs provide some
accessibility of diving and a burgeoning interest in the of the most spectacular sights on
marine environment, dive operations have sprung up Earth. A healthy reef positively
teems with a wide variety of
in every location where there is a combination of a wildlife, including many brightly
tourist market and easy access to a body of water DIVE SITES colored fish species, such as
these raccoon butterflyfish on
suitable for scuba diving. In the US alone, the number a reef in Hawaii.
of active divers is estimated to be 1–3 million.
The modern diver is faced with a bewildering ECOTOURISM Some
conservation-minded divers
array of choices when it comes to the dive
spend their vacations
experience itself. The simplest form of diving is a assisting scientists in their
course that is based within a resort, which supplies research of coral reefs.
all of the equipment and training, and guides the LOCAL ECONOMIES
diver around local sites. More specialized is the Residents of prime dive
locations can benefit by
dedicated dive vacation, where the qualified diver
offering diving services. But
seeks out a location specifically to explore local if a location becomes too
attractions. Some diving enthusiasts choose to base popular, the sheer number
of visitors can cause severe
themselves on dive vessels that explore some of the damage to the reefs.
more remote locations of the undersea world. For
BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS
the most committed divers, it is possible to join a
dedicated diving expedition organization, during
which conservation or surveying work may be
undertaken at a remote location for a few weeks or
even several months.

The Divers’ Code
The vast majority of modern dive operations and tourist
authorities insist on a strict set of guidelines to minimize the
effect of too many divers on reefs. The Divers’ Code includes FEEDING SHARKS The
feeding of top predators,
the following points: no contact with coral; maintain buoyancy
control so that accidental contact with the reef is avoided; no such as this Caribbean reef
shark, is a complex issue.
collection of shells, coral, or other mementos; no touching, Although the behavior of the
harassing, or feeding of any marine animals; and an exclusion
sharks is altered by such
zone is to be maintained activities, such diving trips
around large marine SAFETY FIRST are becoming increasingly
animals, such as whales. A dive instructor teaches novice popular in many locations,
divers how to respond if they lose
resulting indirectly in the
their mask. Hand signals are used
protection of the sharks by
to communicate underwater.
local operators.
INTERACTING WITH WILDLIFE BAD PRACTICE A boy diving ATLAS OF THE OCEANS

in the Red Sea touches a spiny
pufferfish, causing it to inflate.
The handling of marine wildlife
can harm both the animal and
the diver and is discouraged by
the Divers’ Code.