Rules about touching the marine life

[TyTy]

Bock to the topic at hand...

I recently dove with a dive op where the DM/owner had tens of thousands of dives under his belt. He picked at the reef with two fingers. When I asked him later on what he was doing he said removing the algea. He said it grows on there like kudzo and kills the reef. But, in the process his bare hands were touching the coral a little, isnt that killing the reef too?

His body also brushed against the stick looking/flexible coral a good bit, he didnt seem concerned. He had impecable bouyancy control, just was not avoiding brushing against it.

Ive only been on 8 dives. The first 5 I had no bouyancy control, but wasent much to hurt (sandy bottom). The last 3 when I was able to drop 12 lbs and get down to 14 I had perfect control and didnt touch ANY of the coral with my flippers, wetsuit, hands, nada. I thought that was the preferred method? (It was these last 3 dives when I didnt touch everything that the DM touched everything.)

Anyway, not critisising the DM, just wondering what the deal was? If he was hurting things Im sure he didnt mean to, this is a guy that cares greatly for his environment, definatly not malicious, he is the exact opposite.

 

[miketsp]

Bock to the topic at hand...

I recently dove with a dive op where the DM/owner had tens of thousands of dives under his belt. He picked at the reef with two fingers. When I asked him later on what he was doing he said removing the algea. He said it grows on there like kudzo and kills the reef. But, in the process his bare hands were touching the coral a little, isnt that killing the reef too?
..snip..

It's not likely he would be touching coral with his bare hands - that burns/stings.
More likely he was identifying and using spots of bare rock to stabilise. Normally with practice you will be able to identify coral & rock.

..snip..
His body also brushed against the stick looking/flexible coral a good bit, he didnt seem concerned. He had impecable bouyancy control, just was not avoiding brushing against it.
..snip..

Did he have any coral smear on his wet-suit when he got back on the boat?
Looks shiny & has to to scraped off with a knife - that would mean he just killed a lot of polyps.

 

[mstevens]

When we fished for them years ago (in norther waters where they were not poisonous), it required long shank hooks and fast reeling. And you still replaced the hook every 5 fish or so.

They taste like frog legs.

Tetrodotoxin doesn't bother you?!

 

[TyTy]

It's not likely he would be touching coral with his bare hands - that burns/stings.
More likely he was identifying and using spots of bare rock to stabilise. Normally with practice you will be able to identify coral & rock.


Did he have any coral smear on his wet-suit when he got back on the boat?
Looks shiny & has to to scraped off with a knife - that would mean he just killed a lot of polyps.

I didnt look to see about coral smear, didnt know it existed. He was picking stuff off the reef with a pinching motion. I did see him stabalize with 2 fingers but he was also definatly picking somehting off.