8 Ways to Minimise Your Impact While Snorkelling and Diving

Eight tips for sharing the ocean when you snorkel, scuba, or free dive without leaving a trace or getting up in anyone’s mask.

We Are Explorers acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the Country on which this adventure takes place who have occupied and cared for the lands, waters, and their inhabitants, for thousands of years. We pay our respects to them and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.

The ocean and simply hanging at the beach symbolise the Australian way of life. We love to get on it, in it, and by it! The Traditional Owners who lived on the coast fished and swam in the ocean for over 60,000 years and maintain significant cultural responsibility for Sea Country today.

I chatted with Nico Fassbender, a marine researcher from the School of Biological Sciences (UWA) and the Save Our Seas Foundation, for his thoughts on marine etiquette. There are so many ways to minimise your impact and enjoy sharing the ocean with everyone. Let’s dig into it.

1. Keep Your Feet Up

Did you know the coral on a reef is a colonial animal and not a plant? According to Nico, they have a very complex relationship between the host anemone and small algae living inside its tissues, and some of them take centuries to reach the size they are. Yes, centuries!

Sometimes, stepping or standing on a reef is unavoidable when snorkelling or diving. Where possible, get horizontal and float or glide above reef structures, only settling when you find a patch of sand. 

@els_venturing

2. Leave Shells in the Ocean

Shells are pretty, but they’re also homes for marine creatures. Even the empty ones! If you take them away, you’re effectively making the rental market for our marine life pretty challenging.

• Leave those sea urchins, starfish, shells, and coral fragments where you found them
• It’s illegal in some marine parks to remove shells and plants from rocky reefs or beaches without a permit

Traditional Indigenous fishing and diving practices, sacred to the Traditional Owners, are recognised Australia-wide and subject to their own set of regulations.

3. Know Your Marine Sanctuaries

While overfishing by industrial supertrawlers is the biggest threat to our oceans, according to Nico, we can still play our part and minimise what we take from the ocean. Australia has 60 marine parks, and within those marine parks are marine sanctuary zones or marine national parks. 

A marine national park is a highly protected zone called a ‘no-take area’ where no fishing or mining is allowed. Every state and territory has their own rules and regulations. Check out your state or territory’s below:

• WA Marine Reserves
• NSW Aquatic Reserves
• SA Sanctuary Zones
• VIC Marine National Parks and Marine Sanctuaries
• QLD Marine Parks
• TAS Marine Reserves
• NT Marine Parks

4. Stay Safe

When diving, snorkelling, or free diving, go with a buddy. This isn’t just to share your excitement when you see something awesome – after all, four eyes are better than two! – but to look out for one another.  

• Let someone know where you’re going and when you expect to be back
• Read the beach warning signs for known hazards
• Check the weather conditions and make sure that you know how to read wind and wave forecasts. Ocean conditions can change quickly. The Bureau of Meterology and Seabreeze both provide accurate wind and wave forecast
• If you’re not a strong swimmer, consider getting lessons or joining a snorkelling or diving group

5. Leave Only Bubbles

On his travels, Nico has visited some of the world’s most remote reef systems and found pollutants including discarded fishing lines, ghost nets, drifting fish aggregation devices, plastic bottles, and food containers.

‘Leave only bubbles; take only pictures. It’s a well-known and often cited phrase, but nothing is more important than being respectful to these fragile and intricate ecosystems. Never touch coral or marine life, and never chase animals to get a better look. Be respectful, and sea creatures will come to you. That’s how you get the most magical interactions’, Nico told me.

‘Leave no trace’ is another common phrase thrown around in hiking and camping circles, but it’s important to remember that it applies to the ocean too. 

Learn more about protecting our ocean: There’s A Crisis Beneath The Waves (Don’t Krill My Vibe)

Well, maybe you can take microplastics home with you

6. Be Mindful of Others

If you don’t like crowds of people, find somewhere quieter or visit again at a different time. Pushing in, snorkelling, or diving over others isn’t cool, and can cause accidents.

7. Wear Reef Safe Sunscreen

• Sun protection is vital in Australia. Unfortunately, regular sunscreen contains chemicals such as oxybenzone and octinoxate, which poison marine life and contribute to coral bleaching
• Biodegradable reef-safe sunscreen or natural zinc cream is widely available and a great alternative to regular sunscreen
• Long-sleeved rashies, wetsuits, booties, and leggings do the job as well while protecting from stingers and sharp rocks 

Read more: A Guide To Reef & Ocean Safe Sunscreen

8. Call it Out

• If you see something, say something. Challenge poor behaviour when you can or report it to relevant authorities if needed
• If you have little ones, there’s nothing better than sharing the marine world with them. Encourage marine etiquette in your kiddos to instil responsible habits and empathy for our underwater world from a young age. 

Want to do more? Read this: 5 Ways You Can Protect Our Wild Places

 @henry_brydon

Get in It!

Do you really need further encouragement to get out and explore? Slap on a whole lot of reef-friendly sunscreen, check the weather, pull on your flippers, and find Nemo (or Nemo’s cousin) at your local beach.

See you in the water! 

FAQs About Marine Etiquette 

Is it OK to walk on a reef?

Sometimes stepping on a reef is unavoidable, but all efforts should be made not to. Treading on, breaking off or even touching coral and surrounding structures can cause irreversible damage.

Is sunscreen bad for coral reefs?

Yes, most sunscreens contain chemicals such as oxybenzone and octinoxate, which are poisonous to marine life and contribute to coral bleaching. Biodegradable reef-safe sunscreen is widely available from retail outlets and online.

What conditions are best for snorkelling or diving in Australia?

Always check the weather conditions before heading out. Learn how to read the swell and wave data using trusted weather apps such as the Bureau of Meteorology or Seabreeze.

Can I catch fish anywhere in Australia?

Australia has 60 Marine Parks, and within those parks are marine national parks. Fishing restrictions apply in all marine and national parks according to the state or territory where they’re located.

Can I take shells from the beach?

In all states and territories in Australia, it’s illegal to remove sea creatures, shells, and sea plants without a permit. They belong in the sea for sea creatures to live in.

What does ‘Leave No Trace’ mean?

The 7 Principles of Leave No Trace is about getting outdoors while having as little impact on the environment as possible.