Touching coz wildlife

[Ministryofgiraffes]

Quick question, i'm passing through coz and going to do a few quick days diving, never been before. A quick look at vids online shows several where people/diveguides are grabbing/groping nursesharks and generally touching/picking up wildlife etc.

Is this standard for cozumel?...would rather set my expectations before i end up in arguments because is 100% p!sses me off.

 

[Christi]

NO - this is absolutely NOT ok. If your dive guide is engaging in this behavior or allowing other divers to do it, please report it to the shop owner.

 

[ThatDogDontHunt]

Us grab them == NO, never

Them grab us? Happens sometimes, do not panic, let them dictate behaviour.

 

[ggunn]

I touched a bristle worm... once. I won't be doing it again.

 

[flyboy08]

Touching under the sea is Tabboo anywhere and everywhere!

 

[Brules]

No no no. Report ops and divers who do it.

We were accosted by a turtle at Columbia deep the other day though lol. Someone’s been feeding it - it was checking our pockets. LoL

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

Touching under the sea is Tabboo anywhere and everywhere!

clearly not enough in cozumel in this instance....3 of the people in the video have camera rigs...they aren't rookies and they participated....i'd like to see a video of someone calling a dive when a DM acted like this..

 

[cicopo]

It's been about 16 years since I saw a divemaster (who worked at a related resort & accompanied their divers to the Cozumel relative) think marine life should be treated to the "braille" method of identification but I as well as another diver made it clear to the dive shop he was violating park rules plus what our teaching organization taught us. We were assured he wouldn't be allowed to continue leading groups after that. I have no way of knowing if that actually was put into place but I know he was reported.

 

[MrBigfins]

Haven't personally seen it in Cozumel. Last time i did see it was in D.R. and the divemaster was cupping and juggling a juvenile lionfish and he lost sight of where the fish went. He thought it was in his bcd, I've never seen someone strip gear that fast underwater. I laughed at his stupidity, he didnt get a tip, and reported to dive shop. Previously Ran into a similar issue in Jamaica, informed the guide that we werent comfortable with that behaviour and it ceases. If you see something, say something.

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

The guys in Jamaica were terrible for it...the condition of the reef is abysmal anyway, at least in Montego Bay and the DMs were like orphan scavengers on a 3rd world dump. Picking up everything and turning over every rock, starfish etc they could find. It was extremely depressing.