ECOTOURISM
rapid decline in shark populations,
it is vital that all marine tourism
operators adhere to these guidelines.
Any company failing to do so puts the
future of the activity at risk and cannot
be considered truly sustainable.
So what exactly is shark ecotourism
and how do we know if an operator
is really committed to sustainable
practices and shark conservation?
Since establishing our own project,
Shark Business, my partner and I
have been researching this subject
thoroughly, and have compiled a list of
key principles that we believe should
be the cornerstone of any successful
shark ecotourism company.
SAFETY FIRST!
Despite its reputation, shark tourism
is statistically very safe and accidents
are extremely rare.That being said,
some species are large and potentially
dangerous animals that do have the
ability to cause harm to humans. In
order to interact with these sharks in
the wild, every precaution must
be taken to make sure the activity
is done as safely as possible. Basic
practices that every operator should
adhere to in order to protect their
customers include:- Limited number of clients per dive to
ensure control over the group - Minimum level of dive experience
for participants - Professional, experienced staff that
will brief, guide and supervise guests
at all times - Appropriate safety equipment for
both staff and clients - Standardised procedures
- Clear separation between sharks and
tourists and strictly no touching of
any kind
RESPECT
Swimming with sharks comes with
a responsibility to treat them and
their environment with respect. In
recent years, it has become popular
to stroke, hug and even ride sharks.
This behaviour is unnecessary,
irresponsible and disrespectful. Simply
observing sharks in their natural
habitat is an amazing experience and
is much safer for obvious reasons.
General guidelines I believe operators
should follow include:- Operators should never aggressively
handle or manipulate animals;
touching by guests should be
strictly prohibited - Do not facilitate self promotional or
sensationalistic material - Avoid sharks coming into contact
with ropes, cages, boats or any other
material used during the activity - If attracting sharks with bait, make
sure it is part of their natural diet and
sourced locally and sustainably - Do not do anything that puts yourself
or the animal at risk. Sharks are
potentially dangerous animals and
should always be treated as such
EDUCATE GUESTS
Many tourists are attracted to
shark diving because they think it is
dangerous, and as a consequence,
some companies promote the activity
as an extreme sport. Unfortunately,
these type of interactions
misrepresent sharks and do not teach
the participants anything valuable
about them. The best companies
offer not only a safe, but also an
educational experience. Providing
detailed briefings before the dive is
a great way to explain facts about
shark biology, ecology, and evolution
and some companies even run shark
awareness courses in conjunction with
diving activities for those interested in
learning more about sharks.SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES
Safety is paramount and of the utmost
importance, but any dive business
serious about contributing to shark
conservation can do more than just
operate a safe and responsible shark
dive. Introducing people to sharks is
a great way to change perceptions
and raise awareness, but the best
companies take it much further
and invest considerable time and
resources on three additional tasks:- Supporting scientific research
Scientific research is fundamental
to understanding shark biology and
ecology, and shark tourism can help
significantly by enabling scientists
to collect the necessary data. For
example, if research leads to the
discovery of a nursery area critical to
Ecotourism is “responsible
travel to natural areas
that conserves the
environment
and improves the well-being
of local people”
–The International Ecotourism SocietyLEFT: Mangroves provide protection
for juvenile sharks
IMAGE: Shane Gross