- Coral Reefs near America - Public Domain
Swimming over unspoilt marine habitats and photographing interesting plants and animals helps people appreciate our precious oceans. This form of ecotourism also boosts local economies and makes coral reefs assets worth conserving by locals.
Scuba Diving and Snorkelling
Swimming in tropical waters is often part of a good holiday, and with the addition of a face-mask much can be seen from the surface. A cheap snorkel allows for more relaxed surface swimming in the ‘eyes-down’ position, and a pair of fins will give additional comfort. It is easy to progress from here to quick forays underwater – once you have learnt how to empty the snorkel by blowing out – before breathing in! Many people will ultimately move on to learning how to scuba-dive and either hire or purchase diving equipment. Many suitable holiday resorts offer scuba training and can provide equipment.
Underwater Photography
Very cheap disposable underwater cameras exist, and there is no need to be an expert to get reasonably good shots when swimming over Coral Reefs. The results might lack fine detail, and often there is a growing desire to buy more sophisticated equipment – waterproof digital cameras can be relatively cheap or very expensive, but generally you ‘get what you pay for’.
Coral Reef Ecotourism
When sufficient numbers of people holiday to dive on a particular reef precisely because of its rich biodiversity that reef system becomes something with a tangible ‘cash value’ for the locals. The immediate area becomes something worth preserving – and who better to do this than the people who live there! If the nearby coral reefs are damaged then the rich tourists will go elsewhere next year and the local economy will suffer.
Becoming an Expert
Enthusiastic photography over coral reefs can gradually lead on to a specific interest in a particular animal or group of animals. Once this happens the photographer will be driven to find out more and more about them, and will rapidly become an expert – from now on the photographs will become scientifically valuable. (An article entitled ‘Biotopes and Habitats’ suggests that aquarists might be able to contribute to knowledge in a similar way.)
Awareness of Marine Conservation Issues
Hunting for good locations to photograph underwater life inevitably leads to a greater understanding of the problems facing the marine environment – ‘We can’t go there any more, it’s been polluted’ or ‘That reef has been ruined by destructive fishing’ for example. There might not be any urge to either enter into debate or become involved in conservation issues, simply ‘voting with your feet’ (or credit card!) will reward effective management of the reef. But some individuals will become more politically active and add to the weight of public pressure urging more responsible use of the ocean. (This is similar to the way that those who become addicted to Whale Watching often become politicised.)
Ecotourists and Public Pressure
By definition the people who can afford to travel to exotic places to pursue their interests are ‘well off’. They are among the privileged minority and in a position to exert maximum pressure. Ecotourism helps conservation in two ways, not only by giving locals a reason to preserve their own environment, but also by educating the general public and increasing the pressure on governments and decision makers.
