Anyway, on our third day we decided to take a boat over to Pigeon Island. We hired snorkeling equipment and plunged ourselves into the sea. As soon as my head went underwater and my eyes adjusted to its surroundings I was greeted by all varieties of fish, as well as weird and wonderful creatures: Huge groups of tiny black fish swam between my feet; florescent fish bobbed in and out of the coral, which swayed to and fro with the movement of the sea. It was all so beautiful.
As I (reluctantly) stumbled out of the water I kept falling over the dead coral that lay on the shore. It reminded me of bathrooms in the 80s; when everyone had a piece of coral sitting next to the rubber duck! I wondered how much damage this had caused and how much damaged I myself was actually causing by being there. As it turns out, quite a lot.
Although Sri Lanka owes much to its coral reef, attracting thousands of tourists every year, it appears that "us tourists" are doing more harm than good! Glass bottom boats are a popular attraction in areas such as Hikkaduwa. However, they are one of the biggest threats to the reef; wearing down the coral, damaging shallow areas. Snorkelers often can't help but put their feet down in the water. Therefore they damage and destroy hundreds of species in the process. Walking along the shore, excited tourists can't resist the temptation of turning a boulder over to view the little animals beneath them. Again, resulting in the death of many beautiful and sacred creatures.
Enjoying the safe way...
It is difficult to say what the perfect solution could be. However, it seems that a little common courtesy wouldn't go a-miss. People should be able to enjoy the beauty of Sri Lanka and its sea. However, we need to make sensible decisions when venturing out: Snorkeling and diving is an amazing experience, but we need to take as much care as possible:
- Try not to kick up the sand when snorkeling. Try and lie flat and keep your legs straight, avoid using your legs and arms.
- Before entering the sea make sure your mask and snorkel all fit correctly, this way you wont have to stop and adjust while in the water, thus avoiding contact with the coral.
- Avoid swimming in shallow areas.
- Do not feed fish, or ride the turtles.
- Do not take pieces of coral home (its nasty and tacky anyway!).
- If taking a boat, make sure it doesn't anchor on the reef.
- Don't throw anything over board.
- If you notice any damage, inform an organizer. This way you can help monitor the reef and its surroundings.
- Don't buy souvenirs from the tourist shops. They just encourage them to go out and hunt for more coral and shells.
I recently read Reef by Romesh Gunesekera. He described the sea and its creatures thus,
Flickering eyes, whirling tails, fish of a hundred colours darting and digging, sea snakes, sea-slugs, tentacles spouting and grasping everywhere. It was a jungle of writhing shapes, magnified and distorted, growing at every move, looming out of the unknown, startling in its hidden brilliance.
The sea really is a beautiful place and we should all have the opportunity to see it. However, if we don't respect and take care, Gunesekera's observations will simply be a comment on the past.
