Environment Archives - Go2Similan Diving and Snorkeling Centre

Marine Conservation

Ann — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 12:16:02 +0000

Marine Conservation in Khao Lak

Here at G2S, environmental awareness is part of our soul. We don’t just teach it, we live it.

All of our instructors incorporate ways to look after our environment, as part of every course. But how do you care for the environment?

Sure you can reduce the amount of plastic you use, you can buy your seafood from sustainable sources, but what if you want to do more?

We’ve put together a series of programs to offer training in Marine Conservation to divers coming to Khao Lak. We teach you about coral, how to identify coral species, how to monitor them so we know if they are stressed or healthy. On the more advanced programs we teach you how to rescue broken corals and replant them where they can continue to grow.

We go on beach cleans, learn about microplastics and their effect on our oceans, we teach you how to assess underwater trash, what it’s safe to remove and how to safely remove it.

We certify you in recognised courses from PADI, Project Aware, and CoralWatch.

Beach Cleans

Removing discardsd fishing net

Coral Surveying

Checking coral health

Dive Against Debris

Removing nets and trash

Our programs incude:

Coral Identification
Fish Identification
Coral Survey techniques
Coral Conservation
Coral Rehabilitation
Underwater trash removal
Beach cleaning
Learning about microplastics
Turtle Identification techniques
Marine species interactions
PADI Courses from Advanced Open Water up to Divemaster

We offer marine conservation programs for divers who have their OW diver level right up to those taking their Divemaster Course.

All programs are tailored to the appropriate skill level, and include PADI training to take the participant to the next level.

Marine Conservation Internship

4 week programs

97,000 THB

3 programs each lasting 4 weeks
Build skills from beginner to expert
Discounts for 2 or more programs
Includes accommodation
Includes PADI dive courses
Conservation Specialty Courses
Use of all required equipment

Just 4 places available

Find Out more

Marine Conservation Divemaster

12 week Divemaster Internship

79,700 THB

12 week internship
Coral surveys and rehabilitation
Coral and Fish ID training
Use of all required equipment
Includes accommodation
Discounts on liveaboard trips
PADI specialty courses

Just 4 places available

Find Out More

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Marine pollution

Ann — Tue, 25 May 2021 06:41:16 +0000

Oceans are making up around 72 % of the Earth’s surface; they provide home for thousands of different marine animal and plant species; they are the life of our planet, but despite that we keep polluting them.

Marine pollution is something that most people are aware of, and that knowledge is good. Increasing awareness about environmental issues that our planet faces is much needed, especially nowadays when the climate crisis represents a sword of Damocles hanging right above our heads. However, just knowing about a problem isn’t enough. There needs to be an action.

It needs to be an action which will steer the future of our planet in the right direction.The problem of marine pollution affects many countries, including Thailand. A country with one of the greatest natural biodiversities in the entire world, priding itself with one of the most unique marine ecosystems, has too fallen victim to pollution.

PLASTIC POLLUTION

Plastic waste (e.g. plastic bottles, plastic bags, plastic plates and utensils, etc.) is especially dangerous for oceans because it contaminates the pristine marine ecosystems with chemical substances which naturally have no place there and therefore, can cause serious harm to all the marine life. Plastic waste is also a source of dangerous accumulated bacteria which can spread many diseases, fatal for many marine organisms, especially coral reefs.

MARINE DEATHS

Marine animals often die due to consuming plastic or other waste by mistaking it for food. Other times they die because their bodies reach fatal toxicity levels by consuming too many toxic micro-particles which are released in the water from the marine litter. Other times animals die of suffocation because they get entangled in some form of foreign object.
All of those deaths can be prevented.

Some people (even those who should know better!) ask ‘why should I clean the beach when I didn’t leave the trash there?’. The ocean belongs to everyone. We all share it, we can all use it, but we all also have the responsibility for it.

Problems that affect lots of people need to be solved exactly that way – by lots of people. Collectively. As a team.

Fortunately, there are already people who think this way and participate in a lot of different clean-ups. There are many groups (e.g. Trash Hero and Project Aware) that organise regular clean-ups which anyone can join. It is not a commitment for life. It can be just a one-time thing. But even that will help.

YOU CAN HELP

You can participate in a clean-up that is being organised near you or you can organise one yourself. It can be as simple as you going to the beach, maybe asking some friends to come along with you, and collecting all the things which have no business being there (e.g. plastic bottles, plastic bags, etc.) Just an hour, maybe less. Get some fresh air, a bit of exercise, maybe some company and combine it with something useful.

Lead by example.

Be a HERO.

Thank you

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The damaging effects of sunscreen

Ann — Sat, 15 May 2021 10:35:51 +0000

A common ingredient in sunscreen is toxic to YOU and marine life

One day you get woken up by a phone call from your grandmother. She tells you she has stage three skin cancer. Your world is flipped upside down in a matter of seconds.

But how can she have skin cancer?? She almost always wore a hat when gardening and doing other outdoor activities. It turns out, she had never routinely worn sunscreen.

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the time they reach 70 years old.

70-80% of sunscreens contain the toxic chemical Oxybenzone

Our sunscreens are harming us

Sunscreen is an absolute necessity for every individual and should be a part of your daily routine. But what kind of sunscreens are safe?

70-80% of sunscreens contain the toxic chemical Oxybenzone.

This chemical has been known to disrupt the hormones in our body. It can cause infertility, growth issues, and poor thyroid function.

The CDC stated that 97% of Americans have Oxybenzone floating around in their system.

Not only that, but it is one of the major factors linked to coral bleaching. More than 75% of Earth’s coral reefs have experienced major bleaching events. Coral bleaching has a catastrophic impact on the marine life that depend on the corals for food, shelter, and safe reproductive sites.

If the corals die off, the fish will too!

What is a “reef safe” sunscreen?

Reef safe sunscreens are mineral (not chemical) sunscreens! These sunscreens are formulated with safe minerals including zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

They are equally as effective, biodegradable, and safe for us and marine life!

Let’s help keep our reefs and ourselves safe with these alternatives to chemical SPF!

Check out:

The Solution Starts With You!

So, how can you help?

Purchase a reef safe sunscreen!
Spread the word!
Tell your friends and family!
Support the companies that are producing reef safe skin care products

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Positive Environmental Actions

Ann — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 07:17:23 +0000

Dive Your Way to a Healthier Planet!

Being a responsible scuba diver is important wherever you are diving and there are many actions that responsible divers can do from home, in their day to day lives too! The great news about being a responsible scuba diver is that it has a major feel good factor, and together we can make a difference and raise awareness – all of which leads to healthier dive sites, a healthier planet and happy divers!

Here are some tips for responsible diving underwater and some actions you can take from home too:

1. Have an appropriate certification to dive

If you are not already a diver, find a good dive centre and get certified to dive! If you are a diver, keep learning and getting trained. Don’t stop at the Open Water Course. The more you learn, the more confident and competent you become.

This not only increases your personal safety underwater, it also means you’ll learn about how to dive to limit your impact on the coral reef and marine life. The dive sites you visit will stay preserved for you and other divers to enjoy dive after dive.

2. Don’t touch the coral reef or marine life

Did you know that corals are living animals? Corals need to be treated with the same respect you would give other creatures. Touching corals can lead to nasty stings and, as humans, we can actually infect the reef by having different natural bacteria and micro-organism on our skin. Contamination from humans can be deadly for coral reefs, and for the fish living there. Hard coral is often covered with a thin layer of live tissue which protects it, but when touched by humans, this layer is damaged and no longer functions.

The basic rules of sustainable scuba diving are:

don’t touch the corals
don’t take any coral or shells out of the ocean

3. Be in control of your movements

Being in control of your movements makes you look more accomplished underwater and you’ll be ensuring the longevity of the reef by not making contact with it. As an ‘in control’ diver, beginners will look up to you and follow your example.

Having good control underwater comes through proper training and supervised practice.

4. Control your buoyancy

Divers with good buoyancy control are looked up to wherever they dive. Be a good role model with excellent skills and you’ll gain the respect of your buddies in no time and help preserve our reefs. Good buoyancy control also means that your air will last longer so you can dive for longer. You’ll be able to avoid crashing into the reef or making contact with the bottom. You’ll also be able to manoeuvre better meaning you can get up closer to the marine life and corals. You’ll reduce your stress and anxiety level in the process – meaning more relaxed and comfortable dives. If you want to use an underwater camera and take home great images when you dive on the Similans, then good buoyancy control is essential.

If you are not sure about your buoyancy control, or struggle with neutral buoyancy, take your Advanced Open Water Course with us in Khao Lak, or book a personalised refresher with one of our experienced instructors.

5. Wear the appropriate equipment properly

If you want to look and feel great underwater, you have to have the right equipment, and it has to fit correctly. Oversized gear or a ‘too-snug’ fit is both uncomfortable and unsafe. Ask us about what gear you should have and how it should fit to give the best performance. If your gear isn’t right for you, you’ll struggle with buoyancy and are more likely to damage the reef as your focus becomes on your gear and not on your surroundings.

Make sure that all gear is tucked away and that nothing is trailing or dangling which can cause to damage to the reef or even lead to entanglement.

Check out equipment in our on-line dive shop, order items in advance and they will be ready for you to collect when you join us!

6. Don’t pollute the water

For the sake of both land and marine species, it’s increasingly important today to be responsible and try your best to reduce your environmental footprint. Never throw any litter or trash, even organic, in the ocean. Pick up any trash that you see while diving and others will follow your example. Role model good behaviour at home too. Try to reduce your use of plastic by using eco-bags for your shopping and think twice about buying items that are overly packaged. Be a trailblazer and get active on social media about what you are doing to reduce your own plastic consumption.

7. Educate yourself – and tell others

The more people know about something, the greater their interest in protecting it. Learn about corals and marine life and share your findings with others. Not only will you impress them with your knowledge, you’ll be helping to create the next generation of educated scuba divers who, like you, want to protect our amazing underwater environments.

8. Be an Ocean Advocate

Being a scuba diver is not just about what we do when we are diving. It’s about our behaviours at home too. Be a better diver every day by becoming aware of global issues such as climate change and overfishing. Join online conservation groups and be a leading voice on social media. Join us in contributing to the growing wave of awareness and change!

9. Promote Scuba Diving and the Underwater World

Share your underwater pictures and talk with your friends, family and neighbours about your adventures and experiences when scuba diving. The more people that are interested in diving, the more powerful our collective voice becomes.

Are you ready to put these points into action? Get started and give yourself something to look forward to when you can travel again by booking a PADI Dive course, or your next trip to go diving in Khao Lak now! Contact us via our online contact form in the footer below, or send us an email to: info@go2similan.com

Scuba Diving with Go2Similan

At Go2Similan we follow all recommendations regarding health and hygiene standards when diving and we have new procedures in place to ensure that gear is disinfected and all recommendations are being met. Our priority is always your comfort and safety.

If you’d like to learn to dive
if you are a certified diver and you’d like to join a dive trip,
find out about a diving liveaboard or
if you have any questions about diving, health or corona virus and diving

Please contact us:

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The Brighter Side of COVID-19

Ann — Fri, 08 Jan 2021 02:59:22 +0000

COVID-19 has been tough on all of us

Right now, it’s no secret that being a human is pretty difficult. We are experiencing a global pandemic that’s totally novel in our lifetimes.We’re getting used to wearing masks that most of us have never had to wear them before, we’re social distancing from others, and we don’t get to travel like we’re used to.

There is a brighter side to COVID-19

Wildlife, on the other hand, is having an overall wonderful year. Animals that are traditionally hunted as trophies are experiencing more safety, bee populations are growing with less pollution in the air, and marine life right here in the Similan Islands is benefitting from the lessened human traffic.

This year, sea turtle populations on and around the Similan Islands are flourishing. More nests are being placed, more turtles are surviving, and there have even been sightings of nests from the elusive and endangered leatherback turtle.

Fewer Tourists – Less Pollution

It is easy to make an association between lowered human disturbance and growing turtle populations, however it is important to examine more closely which human behaviors that have been removed or lessened are benefiting the turtles. With fewer humans in the equation, pollution is reduced. This can include anything from garbage left on beaches and washed into the ocean to boat gas pollution and even human urine which can change the pH of the water.

All of these are present at higher levels when people are free to travel. Plastic pollution is particularly harmful to turtles, as plastic bags bear a striking resemblance to jellyfish, a main staple of most sea turtle diets

Light Pollution

This even applies to light pollution. Sea turtles nest on beaches, and hatched babies are reliant on the light of the moon on the ocean to find their way into the water, however this has become increasingly difficult with beachfront hotels giving them a second light source. With all of these things lessened by a lower volume of people, the turtles have a chance to increase their population.

Tourism isn’t all bad

Recognising all of the benefits to the sea turtle populations is important, however maintaining this way of life is unrealistic. People who rely on tourism as their source of income are suffering. Tourism also fosters a love for the beauty of the ocean, and instills values that are essential to continued conservation, which are benefits that are essential to keeping our oceans healthy in the future.

What can we do for the future?

With that in mind, we must ask ourselves how we can do a better job coexisting with sea turtles, and marine life. On an individual level, making sure your garbage is disposed of properly is an excellent way to start, while cleaning up garbage at a beach or park is a great way to take it a step further. Perhaps beaches can provide more conveniently place garbage receptacles in order to encourage all beachgoers to do so as well.

In order to reduce light pollution, hotels have several options to make positive changes. They could incentivise a stay during sea turtle laying season by offering a discount in exchange for hotel guests agreeing to dim their lights after sundown. Another option would be to tint the glass in windows, or make sure the curtains in each room are thick enough not to let light out onto the beach.

The positive of COVID-19

The positives for wildlife that have come with this remarkable year are too great to ignore, and hopefully as the world begins its return to normalcy, those benefits can be retained as well.

Scuba Diving with Go2Similan

If you’d like to learn to dive
if you are a certified diver and you’d like to join a dive trip,
find out about a diving liveaboard or
if you have any questions about diving, health or corona virus and diving

Please contact us:

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Plastic Pollution

Ann — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 03:26:01 +0000

Plastic Pollution in Our Oceans is Choking Marine Life… And Us

Imagine waking up in a beautiful home, your dream home. It’s perfect for you, fits your needs and is exactly what you want.

Then slowly, over the years, more and more plastic garbage ends up in your yard, on your beautiful house, and makes its way inside your home. You begin waking up in the morning with plastic bags laying with you in bed. Tiny pieces of plastic begin showing up in your food. You step on plastic when you walk down the stairs to get a cup of coffee in the morning.

This plastic garbage accumulates to the point where you can’t live in your dream home anymore. Your beautiful house seems unliveable but you have no where else to go.

What can you do?

92% of all marine life is exposed to plastic and 10% consume this plastic

This is how it feels to live in the ocean.

Imagine being a fish or a large whale when 8 MILLION TONS of discarded plastic waste ends up where you’re living. You mistake a plastic bag for a jellyfish, you accidentally swallow tiny plastic pieces in addition to the fish you were eating, or large plastic pieces get stuck on your fins.

If you wouldn’t consider this acceptable in your home, then why is it acceptable for the undeserving marine life in the ocean?.

Every year, approximately 100 million marine animals are killed by plastics.
Entanglement and ingestion of plastic are the main killers of marine life and wreak havoc on ocean ecosystems.
Animals that consume plastic suffer the many negative effects of the toxic chemicals that dissolve out of indigestible plastic in their stomachs.
Animals can also become trapped in discarded fishing nets or larger plastics and can’t swim or break free.

The Solution Starts With You!

Acknowledging and reducing the amount of plastic waste you consume on a daily basis and raising awareness is a great step forward in the fight against ocean plastic pollution.

Urge governments to change and better their waste management policies.
Support organisations that are battling plastic pollution in your neighbourhood.
Recognise that certain plastics can remain in our environment for hundreds of years.
Take part in clean-ups – either at your local beach or harbour, or help with underwater debris removal

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