Diving While on Cruise

[Okcdiver2]

Those of you who cruise, I have to ask if you are unaware of what the cruise lines do, or does it not matter to you?

This one simply got caught, but this is common practice, it's what they do:
Carnival slapped with a $20 million fine after it was caught dumping trash into the ocean, again

And this is what happens in order to build piers for them:
Coral dredging: 'It's going to cause irreversible damage'

Cayman's are fighting a battle now with Carnival as well because they are trying to come in with their big $$ to build piers

I find a real disconnect with divers who supposedly care about the environment but continue to cruise.

I have worked as a storm water quality insoector for 15 years and i hear it everyday *look at what they are doing".
I guess you live off the grid? Do you put hydrocarbin booms around your boat ro catch any oil sheen? I have seen all the oil in tge water when bilges are pumped out. Do you collect yours? I hear it evertday - its only a little , but your little bit times 25000 other peoples little bit adds up.

I hate cruise lines and everything they do but what are you doing to help the reef? When you wash boats and equipment where does that water go? i will be there in jan and would love to give you advice on best management practices. Quit passing the buck and do your part.. you could lead by example.
I spend 90% of my time educating people in my job.
I see so many things there that contribute to pollution. How many gallons of bleach are poured on sidewalks and then washed off to the water. There is alot that could be done there without blaming everyone else.

There are lots of places without cruise ships. Its soooo horrible you have to stay locked away at your house all day you say. Thats the stupidest crap i have heard. If your life is that bad why are you there? Just to complain i guess.

I really find a disconnect with divers who conitinue to blame others while they pollute daily.

Everyone wants to be environmentally freindly until it costs them money.

 

[Okcdiver2]

Dear Altamira,

You are so off base it amazes me. Even in the most remote dive locations in the world I have never seen a dive boat just throw crap overboard. Maybe some exotic live a boards might in very remote locations, but to equate that to the massive crap of 5000 person cruise ships polluting the Caribbean is just mind boggling.

And especially in Cozumel most dive boats have gone to reusable water cups, minimal plastics and NEVER throw stuff overboard. If that ever happened the roar on Scubaboard would be deafening!

Go Christi! Has that cruise ship been identified?

Dave Dillehay

Good for you. now what about all the pollution that comes off your boats daily in oil sheen and bilge discharges. Do you collect this? When you wash boats are you collecting the waste water. Everyone can do their part. It all adds up, But Blame everyone else. Its the american way. Mexico has a drug problem not the usa - example . Its everyone else not me.

Im in no way env freindly but i dont rip other people either.

 

[Alekseolsen]

I find it facinating nobody else has mentioned the non-envirnomental pollution. I'm joining a cruise ship on Monday (for work) as I quite often do, and it never stops to amaze me how horrible the cruise ships make places. Like most Caribbean islands are great, until the cruise ships arrive. All that people, in the same spot, you'll need a huge city to deal with all those people in a good way.

All cruise destinations I've had the chance to remain at after the cruise ships leave is way nicer with all the people gone..

 

[Okcdiver2]

I have a template for a storm water pollution prevention plan if any business owners in coz want it . it would show what your
doing to minimize pollutants.
If you were in the USA this would be required
Questioms for dive shop owners
1. What do you do if you have a fuel or oil spill on land or water?
2. Are your employees trained on what to do if there is a spill?
3. Do you have any used oil or fluids storage? Are they exposed to rain?
4.How do you wash boats and equipment? Does this water go to sanitary or is it discharged to the water?
5.What best management practices do you use to minimize pollutants?

I would love to see owners address these questions? Cruise ships, sewage and nutrient runoff may be 75% or more of the problem but all boats contribute to pollution no matter how they want to minimize it and say but but look at them.
In oklahoma we are oil and gas. They do what they want. That doesnt mean we dont enforce rules on others.
In the USA if you create a sheen on water it is supposed to be reported to EPA. The key word is supposed to be.
Ive been a regulator along time. You learn everyone needs to do their part and educating is the best tool.



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[ggunn]

Im in no way env freindly...

Yeah, I got that. So anyone who contributes in any way toward world pollution (and that's everyone) should not take a stand against a major polluter of the oceans?

Good on you, Christy.

 

[NDL_Diver]

Once again a thread has taken a wild tangent from topic.

OKC, alot of dive ops use 4 stroke outboard engines so oily bilge is a non factor. The old 2 strokes were a polution problem and gas hogs. Oily bilge can be found in bilge of inboards engine boats. Your focus on that polution should be addressed by marina's polution plans.

You condem all the dive ops in a single stroke and snark at any improvements they have taken and ignore the elephant in the room (cruise ships) that pollute and transport contaminated bilge ballast and waste water on a scale that dwarfs anything dive boats are capable.

 

[Okcdiver2]

I dont condemn anyone but blaming everyone else is ok. Reality is everyone contributes to pollution. Whether its a cruise ship or a dive op. So do what you can on your end first and them blame everyone else but until them yout just a hypocrite. i see it everyday. Take care of your house then crticize others.

I would be interested to hear any best management practices used in coz by dive shops to minimize pollutants.
Im listening

 

[ggunn]

I dont condemn anyone but blaming everyone else is ok. Reality is everyone contributes to pollution. Whether its a cruise ship or a dive op. So do what you can on your end first and them blame everyone else but until them yout just a hypocrite. i see it everyday. Take care of your house then crticize others.

I would be interested to hear any best management practices used in coz by dive shops to minimize pollutants.
Im listening

So, in order to take a stand against a major polluter one has to be his or herself completely noncontributory to worldwide pollution? If that were true no one could ever say or do anything about the problem; as you yourself say, everyone contributes.

Again, good on you, Christy.

 

[Okcdiver2]

Yeah, I got that. So anyone who contributes in any way toward world pollution (and that's everyone) should not take a stand against a major polluter of the oceans?

Good on you, Christy.

You should do your part to make sure your not contributing to the problem. You may be the only boat in the whole marina that filters bilge water and wash water but your doing your part instead of contributing to the problem. If you add all the boats from cancuun to tuluum and think they dont contribute. Well they do. Take a look at the bilge water this spring when your fishing. Its not as big a factor as cruise ships but still contributes and there are things peopl can do to minimize it.

 

[ggunn]

You should do your part to make sure your not contributing to the problem. You may be the only boat in the whole marina that filters bilge water and wash water but your doing your part instead of contributing to the problem.

You could do the same thing that Christy is doing - refuse to dive with ops who don't do all the stuff you say they should do. Would that make you feel like a hypocrite because you flew to Cozumel in an air polluting plane?