Peace On The Reef

Reef systems around the world are undoubtedly under enormous pressure. Rising sea temperatures, increased storm activity, nutrient runoff, plastic pollution, and overfishing to name but a few. Here at Mike Ball Dive Expeditions, we are obviously very concerned about these impacts on our precious reefs, and we recognise that we need to do everything possible to preserve it.

Above the water we make conscious decisions in our daily lives striving to mitigate any negative impacts we make upon our environment; we now need you to continue with that very same care as you descend beneath the surface.

Onboard you will be briefed and reminded as to just how fragile our coral reefs are and to get you thinking immediately on how best to avoid any contact or negative impact …

By the end of the briefing, you will be able to identify –

Harmful dive activities
Helpful dive attitudes
Practical dive solutions to minimize diver damage

Harmful Dive Activities –

Poor buoyancy and mobility skills.
Poor night diving skills due to reduced vision and orientation.
Lack of spatial awareness, photographers are sometimes too focused on their subjects.

Helpful Dive Attitudes –

Be aware of all the fragile marine life around you – where your fins are etc. With good buoyancy control and subtle body movements you can harmlessly manoeuvre around the reef.
Be considerate; everyone can admire the marine animals from a few metres or just a few divers can get real close and scare them away.

Practical Dive Solutions –

Buoyancy Control – Post dive, try removing a weight at the surface before exiting.
Console Control – Keep gauges off the reef. Easy to add a string loop to the console and tether it to the BCD chest strap. Customise your equipment to achieve this.
No Gloves – If you do not make contact with the reef, then it is highly unlikely that you would encounter any concerns; Gloves reduce sensitivity which can result in damage to the reef; bare hands do so similarly, (gloves are permitted to be worn but must be discussed with TD prior).
Pointer/GoPro Sticks – Increasingly we are encountering more and more divers with pointer sticks; these may be used to steady yourself when close to the reef; GoPro extensions are also commonly used; DO NOT use either of these devices to disturb or manipulate critters for photography. No extension of GoPro sticks permitted during Minke encounters.

And finally, ‘Peace on Reef’ –

If it is a staff member or another guest causing the damage, give us a wave, ‘V’ signal and point to the problem. With the best of intentions, accidents will happen but let’s keep it to an absolute minimum.
The phrases ‘Peace on Reef’ and ‘Look don’t Touch’ sum up the right attitude. One goal on every dive should be to enable the diver swimming behind you to see it exactly as you did.

Find out more about Mike Ball Dive Expeditions Environmental Management Policy.