Friday, August 1, 2008

Reef-friendly Recreation!

There are many things to do at a marine park! That is why marine parks enjoy numerous tourists almost all year round. Sadly, most tourists visiting marine parks end up damaging coral reefs, despite their best intentions. They continue their outrageous littering, pick up and bring home things that ought to remain in the wild, and hurl objects off boats for stress relief. Let's see some of the activities one can participate in, and how to be responsible while experiencing the marine parks (good for you and the corals):

1. SCUBA diving and snorkeling
Immersing yourself in the same environment as the corals and exploring every nook and cranny with the fishes, turtles, sharks and squid. These activities have minimal impact on the corals and yet give people the chance to observe spectacular marine life up close. One can take in great underwater views and great pictures while swimming around the reefs. When participating in either activities, try to control your buoyancy so that you do not smash into the corals





2. Boating and Yachting
Speeding on the water surface, enjoying great views, sparkling white beaches, quaint islands and amazing coral cays; boating and yachting in marine parks allows one to enjoy things above and below the surface. One can chase the whales during migrations, or observe friendly dugongs in shallow waters from the comfort of the boat deck. When participating in these activities, do not go too close to the animals or run them over with your vessel. Use the speed limits in the area and avoid colliding with animal and coral structures!



3. Bird watching
Marine parks tend to have a large amount of seafood, and consequently a large amount of seafood loving birds. As the name suggests, it's bird watching, so keep your distance and contend yourself with only watching, not harassing.



4. Fishing
Fishing can give one the huge satisfaction from literally earning his/her own dinner. Fishing (recreational, not commercial) is sometimes allowed in marine parks, as it is a fun sport for the whole family. Please do not use dynamites, non-native baits, and only fish at the designated fishing spots. If everyone adheres to the rules, we all get seafood for dinner! Halibut, anyone?

5. Motorized water sports
This means jet skiing, tube riding, para sailing, and water skiing amongst others. One can race over the water surface and enjoy the sea spray on their faces. As with boats and yachts, avoid collisions with marine animals and corals at all costs!

6. Lazing about in the sun
Of course, not everyone likes to run around and get all sweaty and exhausted by the end of the day. Most marine parks boasts pristine, soft sandy beaches, where one can just lounge on a mat and tan or watch the waves in the shade. Often, there are boats traveling to different islands, and one can experience all the different beaches, and take some awesome snapshots. Just remember to bring your rubbish along with you, so the beaches remain pristine.



Well, there we go! Some of the fun things people can do in marine parks and some precautions to ensure that we can all enjoy it for many years to come (:

Resources:
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
Pictures by Jacque (although who took the picture of Theo remains largely unknown)

Jacque and Theophilus finished work at 2:08 PM

______________________________

the marine junkies
Jacque and Theophilus
18071990 / 28081990
NUS High School
NUS Marine Biology Labs

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reefmealone@gmail.com

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Nudibranchs drawn by Prof. Chou
(hand drawn! wow!)
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