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Reef-World launches the new Green Fins Environmental Best practice for Snorkellers

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The Reef-World Foundation – the international coordinator of the UN Environment Programme’s Green Fins initiative – has launched a new poster on Green Fins Environmental Best Practice for Snorkellers. These guidelines help marine tourism operators inform their guests about environmental best practices while snorkelling in an effort to protect marine ecosystems.

Snorkelling is one of the most popular water sports worldwide. Unlike many other marine tourism activities, it requires minimal equipment and training, making it one of the most accessible activities for tourists to explore the underwater world. However, if not done responsibly, the cumulative impact from all snorkellers worldwide could increase pressure on the already vulnerable coral reefs. Harmful practices while snorkelling, such as fish feeding, standing on coral and chasing marine life, have been observed globally. Often, tourists aren’t aware of the negative impact of these actions.

Due to its popularity and tourism restarting in many parts of the world, The Reef-World Foundation finds it important to raise awareness and educate both marine tourism operators and tourists on conducting snorkelling activities in an environmentally friendly manner. This can help minimise the negative impact on the marine environment, encouraging the tourism industry to shape a better post-pandemic future.

Snorkelling, unlike diving, is often an unled or unsupervised activity, and in many places is not well regulated. Therefore, the Green Fins Environmental Best Practice for Snorkellers poster can also be used by tourists to equip themselves with the knowledge and guidance to limit potentially negative impacts. This enables them to enjoy the coral reefs and other marine ecosystems responsibly for years to come, including when they’re snorkelling independently without guides.

The guidance includes a wide range of recommendations adapted from the Green Fins Code of Conduct: reducing toxic chemicals from entering the ocean by using reef-safe sunscreens, abiding by the local laws, and learning how to use snorkel equipment. These recommendations are consolidated from professionals and marine tourism operators in the industry.

Chloe Harvey, Director at Reef-World, said: “Snorkelling is a fabulous way to get people into the water and enjoy the wonders of the marine environment. Such experiences are a powerful tool to inspire people to make changes to protect these vital marine resources. However, there are very few touchpoints for raising awareness of best practice along a regular snorkeller’s pathway from land to ocean. We hope that this new Green Fins Environmental Best Practice for Snorkellers will fill this gap — provide vital guidance and allow holidaymakers to enjoy snorkelling without unwittingly jeopardising the health of the very environment they have come to see.

The Green Fins Environmental Best Practice for Snorkellers poster is available for free on the Green Fins website here.

For more information, please visit www.reef-world.org or www.greenfins.net. Dive and snorkel operators interested in signing up to Green Fins can find the membership application form at: www.greenfins.net/how-to-join.

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The Suit Ocean Team leads the Ultimate Curacao Snorkeling Adventure

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By Bryan Horne
Snorkeling and scuba diving in Curacao is a dream for anyone who loves the combination of amazing beaches and the mind blowing biodiversity that exists along 104 square kilometers of its fringing coral reefs. So if you are interested in the ultimate Caribbean snorkeling adventure then keep reading as The Suit Ocean Team takes you on a one hundred kilometer snorkeling tour of Curacao’s southern shoreline.

As passionate residents of our Dutch Caribbean Island, we must congratulate The Suit Ocean Team for creating more awareness about the importance of protecting our beautiful fringing reef systems in Curacao.

The film, Curacao Underwater Kunuku (Kunuku is Papiamento for Garden), not only documents this ultimate snorkeling adventure showing you how easy it is for everyone to access and enjoy a snorkel or diving experience, but it also showcases the interaction between man and nature, highlighting the beauty of underwater life while promoting conservation, preservation and the need to protect these vital habitats.

These are the key ingredients to this beautiful short film documentary. Watch NOW and please enjoy our “CURACAO UNDERWATER KUNUKU”.

This film, produced by the Lawrence Mensa Foundation (LMF), is also available in multiple languages including: Spanish, Papiamentu, Dutch, Portuguese and German.

Images courtesy of The Suit Ocean Team
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7 best places to go snorkeling in Brazil

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With more than 7,000 km of coastline dotted with bustling cities, white-sand beaches and coral reefs, Brazil offers a unique mix of culture, history and world-class snorkeling. This fascinating country is home to the largest coral reef system in the South Atlantic Ocean and has numerous snorkeling destinations. Between them, they include wreck diving meccas, vibrant coral reefs, marine parks, and a UNESCO World Heritage Center. But where are the best places to go snorkeling in this vast country? Let’s find out in our round-up of the best snorkeling in Brazil.

1) Recife

Recife is the main city in the state of Pernambuco and takes its name from the many reefs, or ‘recifes’, that surround its shoreline. It is known as the shipwreck capital of Brazil and boasts dozens of shipwrecks, from historic 19th Century ships through to modern vessels. All of which are thriving artificial reefs surrounded by huge schools of fish.

Whilst you won’t be able to access many of the wrecks as a snorkeler, Recife’s numerous reefs offer easy snorkeling in warm, clear waters all year. There are numerous reef fish to observe among the patch reefs, plus sharks, sea turtles and rays.

 2) Fernando de Noronha

Take a trip 400 km offshore from Recife and explore a UNESCO World Heritage Centre, the Fernando de Noronha archipelago. This volcanic archipelago offers the best snorkeling in Brazil and has countless undisturbed snorkeling spots.

Famed for its clear waters and spectacular topography, Fernando de Noronha is made up of 21 islands that are home to seabirds, reptiles and abundant marine life – including spinner dolphins. It is a sanctuary for wildlife and a National Marine Park that offers exceptional scuba diving, surfing and snorkeling.

Fernando’s waters are extremely important as a breeding and feeding ground for tuna, sharks, sea turtles and marine mammals. Go snorkeling there and you have a good chance of encountering the resident dolphins and schools of pelagic fish.

There are caves, swim-throughs, tunnels and caverns dotted around the islands, with beautiful rock formations that host an array of reef fish. With lagoons and tidal pools as well, Fernando de Noronha is a must for any ocean fan.

3) Porto de Galinhas

Porto de Galinhas is a small coastal city an hour’s drive down the coast from Recife and has a long golden beach with reefs sitting just offshore. Simply step off the beach into the warm, azure waters and you’ll find lots of colorful fish and reef life.

The waters are shallow, clear and calm, making it perfect for snorkelers. There are also rock formations that have created snorkeling pools, with hot water around 28°C. This is a great place for novices to learn how to snorkel or try scuba diving for the first time.

4) Ilha Grande

The oceanic islands near Rio de Janeiro are a must for snorkelers. These islands attract diverse marine life and are the perfect place to spot and photograph numerous fish species, plus moray eels, rays, sea turtles, octopi, and visiting dolphins.

Ilha Grande is one of the most famous islands and has clear waters, forest trails, and excellent snorkeling. You can cruise around the island, dipping in and out of the water and exploring the soft, white-sand beaches all day long.

5) Regiao dos Lagos

Regiao dos Lagos in the state of Rio de Janeiro is a popular region that has some of the most famous beaches in Brazil. This area receives nutrient-rich, cold waters from the South Atlantic Ocean, attracting an array of different marine species. There are lobsters, sea turtles, friendly dolphins, pelagic fish, and rays in these rich waters.

Costa Azul is one of the most famous places there and is thought to have some of the best diving in Brazil, thanks to its many dive sites, plus dive centers that offer kit hire for all your snorkeling needs. There are numerous snorkeling spots and softy, sandy beaches with clear, shallow waters.

6) Abrolhos Archipelago

The Abrolhos archipelago is a group of five uninhabited islands off Brazil’s southern Bahia coast and is home to the Abrolhos Marine National Park. This unique park offers some of the best diving and snorkeling in the world and is famous for its rare coral formations.

The crystal-clear waters of the Abrolhos archipelago are home to the most extensive coral reefs in all of the South Atlantic Ocean and host around 19 coral species, including brain coral. These are some of the most interesting reefs in South America.

Many of these reefs are called ‘chapeiroes’ because they grow upwards in columns that resemble huge mushrooms. These unusual reefs host around 160 fish species and numerous sea turtles. The marine park is also known for its visiting humpback whales. Visit from July to November for the best chance of spotting these ocean giants.

7) Sao Paolo

Sao Paolo is Brazil’s largest city and is a dazzling cultural, architectural, and fashion center with iconic buildings and a great selection of museums. It is also home to the Laje de Santos Marine Park, a famous migratory route for manta rays.

Sao Paolo’s coast is dotted with multiple dive and snorkeling sites in the north and south, which can be reached with a short boat ride. The Laje de Santos Marine Park is the most popular place for divers and snorkelers in the area. As well as numerous visiting mantas and sea turtles, this marine park hosts pelagic fish, rocky-bottom fish, crustaceans and South Atlantic species.

For the best chance of encountering manta rays at Sao Paola, visit from March to September.


Kathryn Curzon, a shark conservationist and dive travel writer for SSI (Scuba Schools International), wrote this article.

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