Travel
“
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the places and moments that take our breath away.
—Mark Twain
Travel
As an Ocean Traveler, you will have a massive impact on the kind of experiences and destinations you visit. Your choices will determine if that impact is good or ill, and can leave a lasting impression on the ocean environment and the local communities that depend on that environment. Sustainable travel choices can become a tool for marine conservation and can benefit local people.
Owners of the dive resorts, that we visit will also benefit from these articles, finding a template for turning their resort into an eco-resort, turning their operation into a sustainable business and profiting from today’s travelers who desire a sustainable travel experience.
Citizen Scientists and Voluntourism
The next time you plan a vacation consider making it more meaningful by becoming a Citizen Scientist. As a citizen scientist there is a voluntourism program for you whether its reef restoration, fish counts, whale sightings, water quality surveys, invasive species monitoring or turtle watches and so much more. Find out more on our Citizens and Science Page.
Immersive Installations: The art of shifting our environmental consciousness.
We hear lots of comments about disruptive technology, disruptive innovation, disruptive businesses to shift the way we see and engage with the world. But what about disruptive art? Whether at a conference or a music festival, people love interacting with art...
Can Mass Tourism be Sustainable? Part 3, The Riviera Maya: Marine Protected Areas
What draws millions of international tourists to the Riviera Maya each year? The weather, the people, the food, yes to all of those, but it's the beaches, the aquamarine water and the coral reefs that makes this spectacular natural attraction possible. The third...
World’s Largest Underwater Cave gives up Amazing Secrets!
Yucatan’s underwater river systems just keep on giving. We recently reported on divers finding that two large underwater caves were in fact linked into one vast system. The Sistema Sac Actun is 164 miles long and the 52 mile Dos Ojos, interconnect making the entire...
Update: New Marine Protected Areas Created in Brazil
In late February, we reported on Protected Areas in Brazil. At the time, the nation had only 1.5% of its jurisdictional waters under protection. However, the Brazilian government was considering proposals to establish a mosaic of MPAs. The Brazilian President promised...
Swapping Debt for Dolphins: Novel Financing creates new Marine Parks in the Seychelles
In the first of its kind, a plan to swap the country’s international debt for marine conservation is offering hope in the Seychelles. In return for writing off large amounts of the national debt, the country will fund two massive new marine parks. "Swapping Debt for...
Bali Low: Is this our New Definition of Paradise?
British Diver Videotapes Plastic Waste Underwater Diver Rich Horner was attempting to capture video of Manta Rays off the island of Nusa Penida, about 20km from the popular holiday island of Bali in Indonesia, when he became submerged in plastic waste. 'Plastic,...
Can Mass Tourism be Sustainable? Riviera Maya Part 1, Beginnings
“Sustainable Solutions to the Challenges Facing the Tourism Industry” is the theme of the 2nd Sustainable & Social Tourism Summit. Held in Cancun, Mexico on March 14, the three-day event was attended by global leaders and organizations. Located in one of the...
Divers Discover World’s Largest Flooded Cave!
What better place to do research for our upcoming series on coastal development in Mexico’s Costa Maya than the village of Akumal (Place of the Turtle in Mayan)? Located just north of the ancient ruins of Tulum, our family has visited Akumal for many years. It gives...
Diving the Titanic – But Hurry!
Are you dreaming of adding one more wreck to your list of diving adventures? Consider taking an opportunity to dive one of the most famous shipwrecks in history. In July, Blue Marble Private, a London-based travel company, starts offering trips to the fabled RMS...
Ocean Sanctuaries and REEF.org offer Marine Citizen Scientist Course
Here’s some important news for all the Citizen Scientists out there. Ocean Sanctuaries is a non-profit based in San Diego dedicated to creating marine citizen science projects available to both divers and the general public. Starting in 2018, Ocean Sanctuaries...
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