How NOT to dive Monad Shoal in Malapascua. Is a Thresher sighting worth the damage?

[AlMitch]

I agree completely with you Guamrider. I used a reef hook for the first time in Raja Ampat and was wondering how I ever lived without one. Just to be able to hook in and glide with the mantas or in this case threshers is amazing. It gives you such confidence in ripping currents. And when it is ripping there is no way you can just "hover" without holding on to the reef for dear life and keeping you body low to the reef.
So I second your recommendation.

 

[Rogersea]

I agree this behavior is damaging to the reef. I have been to Malapascua several times and all of the briefings that I ever received, directed me to "go negative" rest on my knees to help ensure our and the host of other "groups" did not frighten the Thresher.


I believe this poor behavior can only be effectively reduced by the Dive Ops and DM's in the area...

Good luck...

Cheers,
Roger

 

[Mucksavage]

Roger is right - the prevailing wisdom is negative and on the bottom so as not to spook the sharks. Its a short term philosophy as the divers are destroying the habitat of the cleaner fish and its environs so yes happy Threshers today but no Threshers in the future.

Certainly reef hooks are worth considering. However I disagree that Monad currents merit it. Yes at certain times of the month there is current but 90% of the time it is fairly low level current and not optimum for a reef hook and hang dive. Also the currents do not always wash in the same direction so you may have divers hooking the reef and hanging over the cleaning station with their arse to the shark.

While the Dive Ops, Agencies etc should be doing more, the purpose of this post was to put some responsibility with the diver. Just because, like Roger says, the Guide tells you to dump all air and kneel in the coral doesn't make it right. And sitting, lying, standing and generally thrashing about are not the instructions of the dive shops. At least I hope not!

There is currently more dialogue on Malapascua about this problem with another meeting in early August to discuss solutions. But it needs 100% co operation.

 

[AaronRiot]

People aren't very smart in general. We don't see the big picture, at one point very early in history we did... there was that whole one with nature thing (what was that all about right? talk about primitive - sheesh!) however it's been conditioned out of society for other things.

You can pick your soapbox. Rainforests. Reefs. Poverty. Disease. Human rights. PETA. The garbage disaster that everyone is guilty of.

Unfortunately the vast majority will TOTALLY agree with you, after all - you're right!- but the individual will offend regardless because they see themselves as a meager drop in the pond.

......

People who care will make an effort. People who don't will be proud of the picture they have to show their grandkids when it's gone.

And it will go, sad as it is.

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To make it last longer, best way to change a person is to catch them in the act AND make a stink about it. Did you just take photos or was something said?

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Also, excuses for these things are nothing but justifications for the individual. - I was new. I just got my camera. There was no garbage can close and I didn't want to hold it.

People know. We know. We just don't think our tiny impact matters.

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In this case...

we could fix it pretty fast. 3 strikes you're out. your card gets hole-punched if any part of your body/gear touches the reef. the guide/DM is judge and jury. you strikeout (regardless of experience) mandatory remedial classes... preferably in the pool, one on one, with a pricey instructor, for a significant time.

but alas, the mighty dollar and happy spenders/earners trumps the reef and all other things. Ah ha! Money. And here we have our second villain, folks.

......

*steps down from soapbox and back into the herd of mindless sheep*

 

[guamrider]

...... the purpose of this post was to put some responsibility with the diver. Just because, like Roger says, the Guide tells you to dump all air and kneel in the coral doesn't make it right. And sitting, lying, standing and generally thrashing about are not the instructions of the dive shops. At least I hope not!

Methinkith now that just maybe (I'm being a bit sarcastic now) all of you that have dive ops there need to spend some serious time RE-educating your guides first. If the guides are telling everyone to get negative then I think the vast majority of divers ARE going to do just that!

AaronRiot>Great comments and so true. However, I doubt whether any guide really would turn in a “tip paying” customer, particularly when their tips generate much greater income for them than their salary.

Oops, I mentioned that evil word again… money.

 

[Rogersea]

One thing that could help is the creation of a monad shoal etiquette graphic similar to the whale shark graphic from SSI

Of course specific to the Monad Shoal eco system/environment...

Cheers,
Roger

 

[eagerbeaver]

Like this Roger?

We initiated this over a year ago, and since then a number of other shops have followed suit. However if the divers can't do it(maintain buoyancy control) and the DMs don't do anything about that... then the result is the pictures above.

 

[AaronRiot]

AaronRiot>Great comments and so true. However, I doubt whether any guide really would turn in a “tip paying” customer, particularly when their tips generate much greater income for them than their salary.

Oops, I mentioned that evil word again… money.

That right there is the issue, sad as it is. Those extra few dollars are worth more to the guide than the reef. Also at issue, is the view of the guide.

Guide makes $ from tourism. Tourism (unconditioned) quickly destroys the reef. Guide no longer has job or $ ...or maybe his children don't, or their children...

We consistently cut off our nose despite our face. It's that whole big picture issue. A little money now for ME is more important than the resource that my family/people/country could enjoy/harvest/maintain realistically for the life of the planet. ...

View attachment 130783

Awesome pic. It's like the ones they have in the bathrooms to remind you to wash your hands so as not to spread disease. People who care will already be washing their hands as they read it. People who don't will acknowledge it and continue along their way.

Key to changing those individuals is reinforcement. Now we can't pay them to behave, or give them things, and a pat on the back only lasts so long - or worse could be mistaken as patronizing. So - what's left? A good hard slap in the face by "the man" or a group of one's peers. Note group. A single individual who bitches someone out will only lead to chuckles at the social gathering later on...

So, have you the guts to lose a little for a greater good you'll likely never see? Because we all know the company(s) won't be initiating drastic measures such as I've mentioned.

I guess it all boils down to how you want to feel when you're old and gray on your deathbed. Do you want the memory of taking a stand and sacrificing to do so...or are you ok with knowing you were just another brick in the wall of a slowly (to us people) sinking ship....

YMMV right?



EDIT: upon reading the sign it looks more like rules than an attempt to protect... come back with 50 bar, don't go over the wall...sounds like safety stuff... and I disagree with the AOW/30 dives thing... a bit of an anal comment but nonetheless the impression it gave an individual...

 

[Mucksavage]

Maintain Neutral Buoyancy at all times?
Put Conservation Not a a Photo first?
Stay low BUT avoid damaging coral?
Rise up before moving and finning?

All protection orientated.

The 50 bar comment is to protect ourselves as many divers will happily go to 5 bar on this dive even when the guide is trying to check everyone's air.

We get AOW divers here who have 9 dives and zero buoyancy and OW water divers who, for example have done a week in Coron and 20 dives to 30m and have good buoyancy. We have to have a grey line at least.

Like Matt says we emailed this board to the other dive shops after we put it up and several have adopted it. However an image of a kneeling diver appeared in the top graphics.

What is good about the board is that it creates discussion amongst guests and there is a (small) element of self policing. But many people ignore it too.

 

[Rogersea]

It is easy to critique anything and everything.

I think that the graphic is a fine tool. A more generic/nameless board would be even better. Maybe even something placed at the boat landings and even on the Mainland where divers sometimes wait for transportation would be a great thing..


I am sure that everything I suggest has been discussed by those of you closest to the issue, but since Malapascua is becoming world renown for the Threshers perhaps enlisting PCCSD assistance as well as PADI AWARE would/could (if feasable would be nice) help get the word out to prep divers before they come...

Cheers,
Roger