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Sustainable Tourism: Tiny changes that make a big difference
What is sustainability? Why is it important? Here is the dictionary definition:
noun
1.
the ability to be sustained, supported, upheld, or confirmed.
2.
Environmental Science. the quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance.
Do you ask yourself these questions prior to making a decision about what dive center to dive or train with?
A few years ago I realized quite how much damage some Tourism practices could be for the environment. I watched on the dock as a sailing adventure company loaded boxes and boxes of drinking water of small plastic bottles on to their boat. 47 boxes of water, each with 24 bottles containing less than 500 ml in each. Providing the guests drank all the water that would be 1128 single use plastic bottles between only 6 people, in less than a week. That is a huge amount of plastic waste.
I decided to start investigating how I could make our dive center more environmentally friendly by adopting sustainable practices. As divers we should not just be ambassadors for the Oceans, but for the planet.
We strive to ensure that our business practices and services are environmentally sustainable and that we safeguard the ocean environment for generations to come. These decisions are not taken lightly: they involve commitment, time, and funding. Our team has invested in finding and following standards and protocols that have propelled us forward as a sustainable leader in the dive industry. The most important decision is knowing how and what information to choose and decipher prior to embarking on becoming more sustainable. It is not simply a question of “googling it”.
We have partnered with Ocean First Institute and Sustainable Travel International to keep us moving in the right direction. Through these organizations, we have joined the “Blue the Dive” movement. Cortez Expeditions complies with the requirements set forth by this movement, striving to maintain them while simultaneously adapting our company to incorporate further eco-friendly practices on a daily basis.
The heart of our business plan is sustainable tourism – we realize that by being stewards of the natural environment we are not only protecting our livelihoods but allowing future generations to enjoy the same natural wonders we are privileged to experience in the Sea of Cortez. We welcome any questions and discussion about our standards because we know that only through collaboration can we effectively protect the Ocean for those who come after us.
- We guarantee the following environmental practices at Cortez Expeditions:
- Our facilities and boats are 100% free of disposable plastic bottles and aluminum cans.
- We use refillable jugs for water and tea and encourage guests to either use our reusable aluminum bottles or come with their personal reusable bottles.
- Our food is organic, sustainable, and locally sourced. Not only is our food tasty, it is ethically sourced, transported, and treated. www.smartfish.mx
- Our staff maintains the best environmental practices above and below the water. Our dive briefings provide guests with necessary information for better understanding of the dive sites and how to minimize our impacts on the site.
In addition, our staff practice diving protocols that help guests improve their techniques in the water, enabling guests to get the most out of every dive while cultivating a respect for the marine environment.
Find out more about Luke and Cortez Expeditions at www.cortezexpeditions.com.
Today we are diving one of the outer reefs from an inflatable. As we reach the bottom, a reef octopus eases its way into the cover of a small crack in the coral while displaying it’s incredible ability to change colour. They are arguably one of the most charismatic of reef dwellers and it is always exciting for me to simply hover and watch. I would have spent longer and waited for it to come and investigate me, but as dive time is limited we wanted to move on and find a turtle.
The waters around Somabay are well protected and hold a rich variety of marine life. The reef edges are thriving colonies of coral and shoaling fish, while nearer the sea bed plenty of wildlife is still to be found.
Then we located the turtles. They are very used to divers and so show little concern when slowly approached. In fact occasionally one will come over to see what you are doing. There is always huge excitement when diving with a turtle. The shear thrill of sharing a moment with another species.
What a fantastic way to finish a wonderful few days diving and I would like to thank SOMABAY, ORCA DIVING and THE BREAKERS for making my stay such a good one.
I had a great time, with diving everyday either on the house reef or on one of the offshore reefs by inflatable or larger day boat. Orca diving provided high quality equipment and facilities while the staff were all very friendly and welcoming. The Breakers was right on the coast with nice rooms, good food and once again friendly staff making the whole trip a real pleasure.
Soma Bay covers an entire peninsula and is home to several resorts as well as residential compounds.
As well as scuba diving, Somabay caters for many other sports and activities, and so is perfect for families as well as individuals and/or groups. And of course there is always time to lay peacefully on the beach under the Egyptian sun.
Book your next Red Sea dive adventure with SOMABAY! For more information, visit www.somabay.com.
Stay at the Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge when you visit! For more information, visit www.thebreakers-somabay.com.
Find out more about ORCA Dive Clubs at SOMABAY at www.orca-diveclubs.com/en/soma-bay-en.
Day three of my trip to Somabay and we were spending the day on the Lady Christina and diving on the wreck of the Salem Express.
Diving wrecks for me is always one of mixed emotions. The excitement of diving a wreck is more than often tempered by the thought of loss of life when she sank. The Salem Express was a passenger ship and a roll-on/roll-off ferry travelling from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Safaga, Egypt. Most passengers were of poor class travelling home from their holidays while around 150 people were returning home from their pilgrimage to Mecca.
The ship struck a reef and sank within 20 minutes. Passengers were trapped below deck and the ship was filled with fear and panic.
The wreck area is strewn with personal belongings from the crew and passengers such as a transistor radio and a flat iron for clothes. A diver at sometime has put them in a prominent place to be seen.
Tragically only one life boat was launched while the others went down with the ship. More than 600 men, women and children lost their lives here.
It’s a stark reminder that the sea can be unforgiving and so when we dive on such wrecks we should do so with humble regard.
Returning to the surface, shoals of fish are gathered under our boat and seem to be welcoming us back into the light.
Back at the Breakers I sat in the dining area with a beer and a very good meal while my thoughts still remained with the day’s dive on the Salem Express.
Check in for part 3 tomorrow for Jeff’s last day of diving with Somabay on the off-shore reefs looking for turtles.
Book your next Red Sea dive adventure with SOMABAY! For more information, visit www.somabay.com.
Stay at the Breakers Diving & Surfing Lodge when you visit! For more information, visit www.thebreakers-somabay.com.
Find out more about ORCA Dive Clubs at SOMABAY at www.orca-diveclubs.com/en/soma-bay-en.
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