a little bit about ForTheSea

http://www.forthesea.com/about.html

the narration and music really is fun

Will come back to the webpage - and totally agree - respect the Coral Reefs. Gopod post.

I used to wear one glove when snorkeling/spear fishing - to hang onto the reef if I was passing over a shallow part and a wave was breaking over moi, etc.

But after one of my dive masters said that even a glove can damage the reef - I just went back to using my bare hands - and am surprised how you can still lightly touch/anchor on the reefs without doing too much damage to it or yourself, or just time it better when swimming over a shallower area so you don't have to grab on.

Actually, the microscopic damage can still be done by grabbing/touching coral with your hands.

I've often thought that the main airports (at least those) in areas where people will be snorkeling should have a large photo ad saying "REMEMBER NOT TO TOUCH!"
I cringe when I see people suddenly rising out of water when I know they are standing on coral to do so.

sylvia - you are right, and I don't even tough it anymore unlesws absolutely necessary - not - God forbid - stand on it.

geesh: typos/sticky early morning fingers. Don't touch it - unless.................

Really???

You really shouldn't agree that it is important to respect a coral reef and then give bad and once again DANGEROUS misinformation.

Dive companies often frown on the use of gloves, as it offers a false sense of security in being able to touch coral and other ocean species safely. The glove isn't any more dangerous to the coral then your bare hand is.

Touching coral is not only dangerous to the coral, it is dangerous to the toucher.

Coral can be sharp and cut you and make you a candidate to staph infection and other ugly conditions. Touching coral with your hand can make you a candidate for being stung by nematosis cells, which can loosely be described as being stung by a jelly fish. "In an extreme case, the victim develops cellulitis with lymphangitis, reactive bursitis, local ulceration, and wound necrosis. "

Grabbing coral with your bare hands is a bad idea. And really how gently do you grab coral to steady yourself on a wave breaking over you?

I am not picking on you. I just wish you would post more responsibly and not give dangerous advice to people.

My wife and I are pretty experienced snorkelers. We were on a snorkeling boat trip to Lana'i a few weeks ago and there were some people on the trip who were touching the rocks and coral. I didn't see that, but my wife did. I asked the captain to make the announcement to everyone to refrain from touching anything before sending them off to snorkel. She wasn't entirely receptive initially becuase I think she didn't understand these might have been first-timers, or maybe she was just amazed that people wouldn't just know not to touch anything, but when I told her what my wife had said, she seemed more responsive. Most tour operators make such an announcement and I think all should.

I've snorkeled many places in Hawaii, The Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the Caribbean, Mexico and I rarely if ever touch the reef to steady myself. It can be done - if it means you move away and don't get to see a particular fish or spear one - then so be it.

Guess my comments about one can get Staph infections from your own nose was not acceptable?

And why do you keep calling what I say "dangerous" advice? I said that I had never been to Ke'e beach when the surf was breaking over the reef - and you called that dangerous advice?

Uno mas: I also do not touch the coral any more - with my hand gloved or not. Used to sometimes to keep one's place - if you were at a place where the waves were breaking over the coral/rocks - but now don't do that anymore, as even touching with one's fingers can cause some damage to the coral.