Sustainable Scuba Diving and Snorkeling Travel

Picture this: a majestic sea turtle swims serenely by while schools of brightly colored fish dart this way and that, seeming to move as one over, under, and through a garden of different corals in fascinating shapes and colors. Experiencing the underwater world and seeing marine wildlife up-close is truly an amazing and unforgettable experience!

If you’ll be scuba diving or snorkeling on your next vacation, be sure to consider the health of the ocean ecosystem you’ll be enjoying. Sustainable tourism businesses (such as hotels and tour operators) are those that are have incorporated business practices that help to protect the health of oceans and coral reefs, such as the proper management and treatment of wastes and measures to conserve water.

Sustainable hotels and tour operators located near coastal areas educate their guests about the harmful effects of buying products derived from animals, such as coral, starfish, sea anemones, and even sea turtles. Also, be sure to look for dive companies that embrace sustainable practices like maintaining appropriate distance from underwater flora and fauna, never touching or scaring animals, and limiting the number of people on each dive.

Snorkeling is fairly easy for good swimmers – all you need is a life vest, fins, and goggles. New scuba divers have a few options. Dive shops and resorts often offer shorter “resort” courses, where an instructor explains the basics, has you practice in a pool or shallow body of water, and then takes you offshore to do demonstrate your skills in an open water dive. These shorter courses usually run from a few hours to a couple of days, and the instructor will closely supervise you the entire time. If you want to go on deeper and longer dives, take a more comprehensive open water certification course at a dive school – a fun option is to do the coursework at home and the open water skill test in warm, tropical waters.

Your Sustainable Scuba Diving and Snorkeling Vacation

The Caribbean Sea’s crystal clear water makes for excellent scuba diving and snorkeling experiences. Mexico, Honduras, Belize, and Ecuador (especially the Galapagos Islands) are world-famous for their beautiful coral reefs and awe-inspiring variety of wildlife.

Browse through all of the scuba diving and snorkeling destinations on SustainableTrip.org.