Issue 82 - March 2022

Top 13 Ways to Become a More Sustainable Traveler

By Kathryn Curzon

Travel is one of the best things you can do to truly appreciate life. It broadens your mind, immerses you in the wonders of the world, and offers experiences that enrich the rest of your days. But how do you ensure you travel sustainably?

It can seem daunting, but it is easy to make sustainable travel choices that minimize your impact on the environment and support businesses working hard to create a better future for our planet.

Read on to find out more and get inspired with our top 13 ways to become a more sustainable traveller.

Choose Sustainable Accommodation & Operators

One of the best ways to make sure you travel sustainably is to support accommodation providers and tourism operators that are committed to making a difference.

There are innovative and forward-thinking companies around the globe who are working hard to ensure their businesses are sustainable. Many are carbon-neutral, support their local communities, have minimal impacts on the surrounding environment, and help to reduce the impacts of climate change.

Whether you want to visit a remote eco-retreat, get pampered at an eco-luxury resort, or explore with a Blue Oceans eco-dive center committed to marine conservation, you can.

By booking your travel with these businesses, you are supporting the hard work they do to help our planet thrive. And it doesn’t take much effort on your part.

Buy sustainable travel gear

It’s all too easy to forget your best intentions to be green when you go on holiday and fill your luggage with plastic travel minis and disposable travel items.

Make a better choice for the environment by buying sustainable travel gear. As an added bonus, you will be supporting small businesses that need your support to grow and create the positive environmental impact they desire.

Get started with the basics:

Eco-towel, such as an organic cotton Turkish towel.
Swimwear made from recycled ocean plastics, such as Batoko, Sea Morgens and Waterlust.
Reusable hessian or cotton bags to hold your beach gear and groceries.
Solar power bank or charger for your electronics.

Choose reef-safe sunscreen

Reef-safe sunscreens are a must for anyone who wants to help protect our fragile ocean ecosystems.

Many chemical sunscreens contain ingredients that are thought to cause and worsen coral bleaching. Bleached corals are more likely to die, which can result in the loss of entire coral reef ecosystems.

Reef-safe sunscreens don’t contain ingredients that are known to harm corals and other marine life. This makes them a smart choice to help protect the oceans and our bodies from harm.

Oxybenzone is the most common ingredient to avoid but there are many others, including octinoxate, octocrylene, parabens and triclosan.

The easiest way to avoid these ingredients is to switch to natural reef-safe sunscreens, such as those made by MooGoo, Stream 2 Sea, and Raw Elements USA.

Say No to Plastics

It is easier now more than ever to say no to single-use plastics and make a switch to green alternatives you can take on holiday.

Simply pack the items below and you’ll be ready to avoid the common single-use plastics encountered on your travels:

Reusable metal water bottle.
Ceramic travel coffee cup, such as those made by Pottery for the Planet.
An eco-cutlery set.
Reusable bamboo straws.
Plastic-free and solid hair, body and skincare products by Ethique.

SEVENSEAS has been organising monthly Beach CleanUp in Krabi (Thailand) and every month we pull over 300 kg of plastic from the ocean. No matter where you are on this planet, you could be a part of saving the ocean by reducing your own plastic consumption or supporting our project by making a small donation.

Help Protect The Oceans From Harm

Healthy oceans are vital for the health of our planet. If you want to discover a whole new world you didn’t know existed and help our oceans to thrive, become a scuba diver.

It is one of the best decisions you will ever make! It opens up a lifetime of travel that can be sustainable and supports ocean conservation.

As a diver, you can join conservation research expeditions to idyllic locations, visit and support precious marine reserves, and learn how to be an eco-conscious water user.

And when you’re not in the water being mesmerized by colourful marine life, you can join environment dive programs to further your knowledge from the comfort of your home.

You can learn about everything from how to interact respectfully with marine life, to marine science, sea turtle ecology and more.

Conserve Water & Energy

Minimize your water and energy use on holiday to boost your sustainability credentials even more. Make it easy with these top tips:

Switch lights and TV off when not in use.
Turn off the AC or turn the AC thermostat up when you’re out.
Minimize laundry by hand washing and reusing your towels for multiple days.
Say no to changing your bed linen each day.
Take short showers instead of baths.

Eat Sustainably

Eating sustainably at home and on holiday really helps to protect our oceans and lands from harm.

Top ways to eat sustainably include:

Choosing sustainable seafood by using a sustainable seafood guide.
Avoid eating shark, skate, or rays.
Buy organic produce whenever possible.
Buy produce that has been grown locally to reduce food miles.
Choose meat-free meals to reduce your carbon footprint.

Explore Closer To Home

We all love a far-flung destination soaked in sunshine but travelling locally can be just as much fun. It is a great idea during covid times when travel plans can change abruptly and helps you to be more sustainable by reducing your travel miles.

Grab a map of your home country, drop a pin, and start exploring!

Travel Overland

If you want to embrace a slower pace of life and visit little-known destinations, travel overland. By travelling across the earth’s diverse and beautiful landscapes by train, coach, or bus, the journey becomes an adventure in itself.

You will be using transport options with lower emissions and can while away your days admiring the scenery passing by.

Not keen on public transport? Use an electric car whenever possible instead.

Get Off The Beaten Path

When it comes to going on holiday, it’s tempting and easy to visit the most popular destinations and ignore the lesser-known places. But your curiosity will be rewarded if you venture off the beaten path.

Exploring quieter destinations decreases the resource burden on tourism hotspots and helps spread the benefits of tourism to local communities.

It’s also a great way to avoid crowds. And if you make sure you support eco-businesses whilst you’re there, you’ll be helping out even more.

Visit National Parks & Protected Areas

The world may be full of people but there are stunning protected parks, rainforests, and marine reserves all around the world. These hope spots play an important role in protecting the planet’s biodiversity and minimizing the impacts of climate change.

Entry fees to protected areas are used to ensure their survival and are often also used to educate others about conservation, conduct environmental research and employ local people.

Find the protected natural areas at your chosen destination and make it a priority to visit them. You will boost your wellbeing, get to explore some of the world’s last wilderness areas, and support sustainability efforts at the same time.

Take Only Photos, Leave Only Bubbles

‘Take only photos, leave only bubbles’ is a popular phrase among divers that we can all use to be more sustainable. Leave no trace of your presence when you explore wild spaces by:

Disposing of all rubbish properly to protect local wildlife.
Packing reusable items in your day pack.
Leaving seashells and marine life where they belong, on the beaches and in our oceans.

Make sure you also avoid souvenirs made from natural materials such as sharks’ teeth, shells and starfish. These are often collected unsustainably in ways that damage ocean habitats.

Offset Your Carbon Footprint

There is one more step to take at home to be more sustainable when you travel. Simply calculate your carbon footprint and then offset it.

There are plenty of free and easy-to-use carbon calculators online and you can offset your carbon in many ways.

Popular ways to offset carbon include:

Donating to tree planting schemes such as One Tree Planted.
Opting to offset the carbon from your flight when you book with your airline.
Purchasing UN certified climate credits.

a man leaving his footprints on the sand

This article was written by Kathryn Curzon, a shark conservationist and dive travel writer for Scuba Schools International (SSI).

About Scuba Schools International (SSI)

Scuba Schools International (SSI) is the largest professional business-based training agency in the world. For over 50 years now, SSI has provided the ultimate training experience for millions of certified divers, not only in Recreational Scuba but in every training category; Freediving, Extended Range, Rebreather Diving, Mermaid, Swim and Lifeguard. Visit the Scuba Schools International website for more information.

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Issue 82 - March 2022

Appeal for Marine Science, Scientific Supplies for Cuba

By Mark Friedman

It has been a tradition that delegations from the United States visiting Cuba bring donations of medical, marine, scientific or educational/school supplies to give our colleagues there who, due to the 60-plus year US economic blockade, are unable to secure many of these items. Or they are extremely expensive since they must go through a third nation, with high transportation, third-party costs.

Washington’s bipartisan economic and political war aims to increase hardship for the Cuban people and overturn their sovereign government. We should promote the normalization of US-Cuban relations and end all economic and travel sanctions. This would benefit the people of both countries. (personal opinion-not a delegation position)

The scientific or marine equipment need not be new. They are definitely interested in any type of Marine research equipment: hydrometers, Secchi disks, thermometers, plankton tow nets, aquarium and veterinarian (marine or otherwise) medicines and supplies.

Medical supplies can really be anything. Believe it or not, they cannot even buy aspirin from the US! The sanctions and bans on travel and trade were increased to 243 under Trump and unfortunately maintained by Biden.

There is no US government preventing us from bringing material aid when we go to Cuba on April 26 for public conferences at the National Aquarium and the University of Havana on climate change and ocean plastic pollution.

In fact, there are large annual trips organized by IFCO/Pastors for Peace, as well as many religious, scientific and educational organizations that have relationships with Cuban entities.

Thanks for considering this request.

When our last marine delegation went in June 2019, the Cuban educators at the National Aquarium and the University of Havana Marine Studies Institute were so appreciative of these items—many of which were bought at a 99 cents store but inaccessible to them!

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Health & Sustainable Living

Why I’m Celebrating World Wildlife Day by Advocating for Animals

By Ella Magers

It’s World Wildlife Day today, a holiday created by the United Nations to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants! This day holds a special place in my heart since I know how vital wildlife has always been to keeping our planet healthy.

And there’s no doubt in my mind that observing wildlife enhances any travel experience. Sighting a group of rare penguins or being visited by an otter while paddleboarding are thrilled that no scenic landscape can top! National parks and wildlife preserves across the globe know that offering people the opportunity to witness gorgeous creatures in their natural habitats will always be a draw. In the era of ecotourism, travellers have more opportunities than ever before to see and even interact with wildlife … and now we’ve twisted that industry to the point that our compulsion to touch and feed beautiful animals is beginning to harm them.

Classic humanity, right? When we love something hard enough, admiring it from afar just won’t work. We need to be close to it, feel it, own it.

This has been the case for centuries, reaching all the way back to ancient Egypt and the very first zoo in the world, then to the menageries of France, and into the present day with the infamous Tiger King. As a lifelong animal lover and advocate (and multi-decade vegan), I first started pushing back against animals as entertainment when I was just 15 years old. As a high schooler, I started organizing and attending protests, leafleting, and tabling to educate the public about the lives that captive and trained wild animals faced. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and Sea World were two of the largest companies that exploited animals back then, keeping orcas, seals and sea lions, big cats, and elephants in tiny enclosures and forcing them to clown for human audiences.

Fast forward to the year 2017, and the tireless efforts of myself and other wildlife lovers paid off: Ringling Brothers shut down due to increasing public outrage at their animal-treatment policies. And in 2023, the circus is rumored to be reopening … this time without animal acts. Finally, they’ve heard the voice of reason and compassion!

Seaworld, unfortunately, continues to hold beautiful animals captive, and breed them. Majestic marine creatures including beluga whales, dolphins, orcas, and others still suffer for the sake of human entertainment. So, as part of my work as a spokesperson for vegan living and animal advocacy, I will continue spreading awareness and educating people about the horrific consequences for sea animals who are trapped and forced to perform. If you’re not aware of the conditions and policies of Seaworld, please consider watching “Blackfish,” a hard-hitting documentary that reveals the impact of captivity on sea creatures.

I get it: that may not sound like the most uplifting way to celebrate World Wildlife Day. (So feel free to watch the film in a day or two instead!) But if we don’t protect wild animals, eventually we’ll have none of them left to celebrate. So I hope you’ll join me in the rewarding work of advocating for wildlife conservation, habitat restoration, and animal rights. If you love watching herds of wild bison roam the American plains or families of sloths peek out from jungle foliage, if you travel because you adore the wonders of our natural world, please spend a moment on World Wildlife Day doing something to keep our planet’s majestic animals safe from human harm.

Be sure to follow Ella Magers on all platforms to stay up in the loop of all things Healthy. Her social is:

Facebook: //www.facebook.com/sexyfitvegan
Website: www.sexyfitvegan.com
IG: https: //www.instagram.com/sexyfitvegan/

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Issue 82 - March 2022

CORALYFE & SEVENSEAS Partnered for Beach CleanUp in Krabi, January 2022

We would like to give a special THANK for Bellaby Bear for supporting SEVENSEAS monthly clean up in January 2022.

With the collaboration of CORALYFE, we picked up over 300 kilograms of litter at the beach in Krabi.

About Coralyfe

Over the past 5 years, a number of local organizations have been collaborating with the Hat Nopparat Thara National Park, acting on issues such as trash handling, anchor damage, mooring lines, marine organism censuses, reef restoration, etc. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of these organizations were forced to interrupt their services, and many had to shut down completely.

As part of the former staff of one of these organizations, Coralyfe founders felt a personal responsibility to resume work on these important projects, aiming to restore the health of local coral reefs and to reverse the damage that countless years of unregulated tourism and human activity have caused.