“Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends, have become global garbage cans.” — Jacques Cousteau
Be a part of SSI Blue Oceans
Together we can protect our oceans
We want everyone to be aware of the environmental problems our oceans are suffering day by day. The SSI Blue Oceans movement supports the conservation and sustainable use of aquatic environments, including oceans, seas, coasts, and waterways and their magnificent diversity of plant and animal species.
Register free and take Action
To get started, simply create a free user profile at www.divessi.com/register or directly through the MySSI App and you will get immediate access to SSI’s free trial programs. During registration you will need to select an SSI Training Center to affiliate with to guide you through the training process. Just check the Center Locator for your Center of choice, their upcoming training schedule, travel, and social events, and much more.
Simply download the MySSI App from your preferred app store, set up your profile, and discover the world of diving with the following benefits:
Instant free access to SSI’s trial programs and Blue Oceans
Lifetime access to your digital training materials and certifications
Digital logbook with thousands of dive sites around the world and potential wildlife sightings
Latest events, news, videos and much more
SSI’s responsible diver code
Dealing with the underwater world
- Only use a swim-through if you can do so without touching anything
- Don’t swim or snorkel too close to the reef
- Don’t touch or break corals
- Use labeled entrances/exits for the water
- Don’t disturb the sand, since it reduces visibility and smothers corals
- Don’t hunt or bother animals
- Don’t touch animals unless properly trained
- Don’t feed animals
- Don’t take souvenirs from the sea - broken coral pieces or empty snail shells still serve as useful habitat
- Only place a reef hook where it will not damage or disturb the reef
- Do not disturb animals or habitat to improve your photo opportunity
Avoid Garbage
- Never throw inorganic waste into the sea – Plastics decompose incredibly slowly
- Minimize the production of garbage: Use reusable coffee mugs and lunch boxes, glass or metal bottles and shopping bags
- Do not bring unnecessary packaging to the resort
- Dispose of your waste in as eco-friendly a manner as possible
- If you smoke, dispose of cigarette butts in the proper receptacle, not on the ground or in the water
Environmental awareness
- Commit to personally protect the environment
- Prevent others from causing damage through positive action and motivation
- Support useful projects and organizations dedicated to marine protection
- If possible, collect garbage on your dives – but only if doing so does not cause more damage to the environment
- If possible, cut hanging ropes and collect floating nets and plastics
- Inform your buddy or the crew on the surface if you were not able to remove the net
- Never eat shark fins, whale meat, turtle eggs, etc.
- Report immediately violations of the ban on the use of marine animals as souvenirs
Responsible use of resources
- Shower only as long as required to get clean, especially in areas with minimal ability to store/purify water
- Wash your equipment in the provided container, and only when necessary – often it’s enough to clean equipment thoroughly at the end of the dive trip
- Turn off the lights when you aren’t using them
- Use alternative transportation or walk instead of driving
- Avoid unnecessary waste - food plans and shopping lists help save you money, and prevent purchasing unnecessary food that may go to waste
Take action today and show that you care!
You successfully organised a beach clean-up? Proudly tag it! You stopped using plastic bottles? Tag it! You motivated others to help protect our oceans? Tag it!
Every action counts, so upload your photo to Instagram or Facebook with #blueoceans or mention @blueoceansprogram and it will automatically appear in SSI Blue Oceans Hall of Fame.
Recommendations for Divers
You can actively protect your underwater world by learning about the underwater ecosystem and practicing proper buoyancy control on every dive. SSI has developed some useful programs to help you improve your skills.