How to deal with the “coral breaker”?

[Grateful head]

Nothing negative was specifically tageted towards you. I don't necessarily think you are selfish or self-righteous...I was speaking (writing) in general terms.

I don't believe that the idea that "most people who care about the enviroment have awareness of their own impact" is true at all, and there are plenty of examples to dig into but that is not what this discussion thread is really about.

I think not subjecting your 2 year old daughter to verbal altercations/confrontations between you and another is a very good mindset/guidance...I am not sure why you feel that mindset should change as her age changes. Perhaps we (the collective we) should interact in such a way as if we had our 2 year old children forever by our side.

-Z

What exactly is wrong with confronting someone who is blatantly disregarding the rules of the dive master, the rules of the marine park and the rules of basic decency. Again, I’m not talking about a newbie diver accidentally touching coral or a strong current situation that may accidentally cause someone to touch or break a piece of coral or whatever. I’m talking about an experienced diver who doesn’t give a sh$t about anything other than his/her picture. And actually breaking and killing coral in the meantime. I’m talking about maybe 5-8 times a dive, every dive. I could say the world needs a little more confrontation. Peer pressure used to go a long way. Everybody, IMO, is too worried about other people’s feelings, in general.

 

[BlueTrin]

What exactly is wrong with confronting someone who is blatantly disregarding the rules of the dive master, the rules of the marine park and the rules of basic decency. Again, I’m not talking about a newbie diver accidentally touching coral or a strong current situation that may accidentally cause someone to touch or break a piece of coral or whatever. I’m talking about an experienced diver who doesn’t give a sh$t about anything other than his/her picture. And actually breaking and killing coral in the meantime. I’m talking about maybe 5-8 times a dive, every dive. I could say the world needs a little more confrontation. Peer pressure used to go a long way. Everybody, IMO, is too worried about other people’s feelings, in general.

If it makes you feel better, then go ahead.

But you are more likely to change his behaviour by approaching him giving him the benefit of doubt.

 

[Robert H. Diver]

I have seen this several times but the most recent was four weeks ago while diving in Cozumel.

Older gentleman, nice and friendly guy on the boat. He had a new Go-Pro camera and had to get every single shot that he could no matter the cost to the coral. I noticed this on his second dive on day one, I never said anything. On our first dive on day two, (I was watching him a bit more now) he was constantly grabbing huge chunks of coral to “get the shot”. Strong current in Cozumel so he needs to stop and grab something to get his picture. Upon grabbing the coral with his hand, he is also finning and breaking coral with his legs and fins. I swim over to him and motion to him to come up off the bottom, he does not. On the surface interval, I am contemplating saying something to him, politely. My wife talks me out of this and says it’s the dive masters job to watch out for this kinda thing.

Second dive, same day, it’s more of the same except this time he breaks a massive barrel sponge. At this point I’m pretty pissed and I swim over to the guy again and more directly tell him to get off the coral. I then swim over to the dive master and communicate to him what the guy is doing. The dive master keeps his eye on him for five minutes, but of course, now the guy doesn’t touch the coral.
So how would others deal with this situation? I am not the police of the ocean and I know everyone at some point in their diving experience has maybe touched or broke a piece of coral. Pretty sure I did on accident but I have always strongly been aware of the coral and how fragile it is. I will also add that the dive master did repeatedly say during his pre-dive briefing, not to touch the coral, stay three feet off the bottom. This guy in my opinion has blatant disregard for wildlife and I am quite sure just in the four dives I did with him, he broke a dozen or more pieces of coral. Thoughts?

Shut off their air

 

[JoeTPhilly]

Maybe they need to install those electric invisible fences like they have for dogs so he gets a jolt every time he gets too close to the coral...

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

If it makes you feel better, then go ahead.

But you are more likely to change his behaviour by approaching him giving him the benefit of doubt.

I don't think @Grateful head (please correct me if I am wrong) is suggesting that when confronting the person one says "Hey asshοle! ...."

My approach would be more of "come on, you are destroying the reef for the sake of your pictures. That's not right. What are people supposed to see after you?" It is confrontational but not bellicose.

I found the reefs at Glover's Reef and Southwater Caye in Belize rather beat up a year ago.

 

[Wibble]

Make a video of all the people you see destroying the reef. Then publish it for all to see.

 

[Zef]

What exactly is wrong with confronting someone who is blatantly disregarding the rules of the dive master, the rules of the marine park and the rules of basic decency. Again, I’m not talking about a newbie diver accidentally touching coral or a strong current situation that may accidentally cause someone to touch or break a piece of coral or whatever. I’m talking about an experienced diver who doesn’t give a sh$t about anything other than his/her picture. And actually breaking and killing coral in the meantime. I’m talking about maybe 5-8 times a dive, every dive. I could say the world needs a little more confrontation. Peer pressure used to go a long way. Everybody, IMO, is too worried about other people’s feelings, in general.

Dude...you claimed in your original post that you "are not the police of the ocean", and you asked for others' thoughts on the situation you experienced/witnessed. You didn't need to start a post to come to the conclusion that you "could be" confrontational in these type of dive situations. And, I don't understand your empassioned sentiment 8 pages into this discussion thread....where was that sentiment during your 4 dives with the guy in question? You stood by watching him destroy the coral dive after dive, and what did you constructively do about it?

Is the guy damaging the coral objectively worse than the people diving in the same group just watching and letting it repeatedly happen?

-Z

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

Is the guy damaging the coral objectively worse than the people diving in the same group just watching and letting it repeatedly happen?

Yes.

Storytime. I had just become a DM, visited a friend in Oahu who was a dive pro. He arranged for us to dive off a cattle boat one day, probably 30 divers or so. Anyway, there was this dive pro, I guess instructor, who grabbed an octopus and was using it to entertain his students/customers. I swam over, grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around with my finger wagging in his face allowing the octopus to escape.

I was more than happy to have a conversation back on the boat, but that guy didn't even look my way. Sure I embarrassed him in front of his students/customers and I gave them lesson for free to not harass sealife. Many reading this may very well think it was wrong of me.

But I won't lose any sleep over that.

I get that most people want to dive and prefer to look the other way. While I wish more people would speak out against such things, I will not hold it against them.

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

Storytime. I had just become a DM, visited a friend in Oahu who was a dive pro. He arranged for us to dive off a cattle boat one day, probably 30 divers or so. Anyway, there was this dive pro, I guess instructor, who grabbed an octopus and was using it to entertain his students/customers. I swam over, grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around with my finger wagging in his face allowing the octopus to escape.

If the octopod is kind of yellowish with little blue circles all over it, then let him go ahead and harass it all he wants. Karma, she be a bitch sometimes.

 

[Grateful head]

Dude...you claimed in your original post that you "are not the police of the ocean", and you asked for others' thoughts on the situation you experienced/witnessed. You didn't need to start a post to come to the conclusion that you "could be" confrontational in these type of dive situations. And, I don't understand your empassioned sentiment 8 pages into this discussion thread....where was that sentiment during your 4 dives with the guy in question? You stood by watching him destroy the coral dive after dive, and what did you constructively do about it?

Is the guy damaging the coral objectively worse than the people diving in the same group just watching and letting it repeatedly happen?

-Z

Ugh…. In my original post, I said I got pissed after I noticed him doing it a few times and then went over and directly told him to get off the coral. I DID do something. Also, I am not the “police of the ocean” and therefore didn’t run over to him on his first infraction. It was kind of an evolution into an under water confrontation after his blatant disregard fir the coral. And now, eight pages later, I am just confirming that the way I handled it originally is the way I will most likely handle it in the future.
Just wanted to hear other people’s opinion and have a conversation about it, no big deal.