1. BUSINESS
SHUTTERSTOCK
Adopting and enshrining conservation measures in your practice
can expand your dive business
BY TED ALAN STEDMAN
I
n 1985, Stuart Cove bucked conventional wisdom of the time and began what eventually
led to shark interaction dives in the waters of his home turf on New Providence Island,
Bahamas. Though he never imagined what that decision would spawn – one of the Carib-
bean’s most successful dive centers, PADI Five Star Instructor Development Center Stuart
Cove’s Dive Bahamas, and comprehensive shark protection regulations – he had a gut feel-
ing recreational diving was poised to take on a sense of purpose greater than its grandeur.
“I was already known as a ‘shark wrangler’ and had experience with movie produc-
tions handling tiger sharks, and I knew the negative public perception about sharks as
‘man eaters’ was largely unfounded,” he recalls, adding that killing of area sharks at the
time was widespread. “We’d been-there, done-that with wrecks and reefs, and we looked
at shark diving to add another dimension, something that would fully engage divers and
hopefully lead to a greater awareness of their plight.”
D o T h e
R I G H T
T H I N G
PA D I . C O M 41

2. 42 T H E U N D E R S E A J O U R N A L 2 Q 2 0 1 6
BUSINESS
After adding shark dives on his regular
itinerary in the late ’80s, his business
grew “exponentially,” he says. A five-year
study later determined no negative effects
to sharks, and in fact shark populations
had grown healthier.
Fast forward and Cove says 40 percent
of his dive customers now come spe-
cifically for shark dives. Yet he’d argue
the resulting increased environmental
awareness and meaningful changes are
what count most.
“I’m a huge shark advocate and now
they’re celebrities. People dive with
sharks, mantas, groupers – whatever –
and they become their ambassadors.”
An upshot of public pressure elicited by
Cove’s evangelizing had the government
of the Bahamas enact complete shark
protection spanning 259,000 square kilo-
metres/100,000 square miles of ocean.
“Divers by nature are conservationists,
and our [dive centers] role should be to
nurture that,” Cove says.
Cove’s success at integrating envi-
ronmental stewardship isn’t unique.
Supported by Project AWARE, a global
network of PADI Dive Centers is putting
ocean advocacy front-and-center, essen-
tially making the environment part of the
new normal of doing business. As dive
industry members report, taking this role
not only reflects a commitment to protect-
ing an indispensible asset, it enhances
and grows their business.
Take PADI Five Star Career Devel-
opment Center Rich Coast Diving Co. in
Playas del Coco, Costa Rica, where co-
owner Brenda Van Gestel says sharks in
peril and marine debris – central tenants
of Project AWARE – are major focuses
of their marine resources messaging.
Van Gestel reaches kids early on by con-
ducting marine science classes at a local
school. “I started a curriculum three
years ago for a 90-minute class for stu-
dents age 9 to 12, and now we’re targeting
home school kids with marine ecology
– why recycling plastics is important,
why sharks need protection, what we
can do to make a difference,” she says.
Her workshops have kids visiting mar-
kets to evaluate canned seafood and see
if it has dolphin/shark-safe labeling. That
awareness extends to restaurants, with
discussions about removing shark from
menus. Rich Coast also supports Mis-
sion Tiburon’s shark-tagging efforts, as
well as sponsoring the Nakawe Project’s
anti-shark finning and marine pollution
campaigns that have become causes célè-
bres throughout Costa Rica.
Van Gestel says dive centers can encour-
age involvement from local businesses that
also rely on tourism as a consequence of
a healthy marine environment. “We get
businesses to support by donating prizes
for raffles while we donate diving. And
we have Carlos Hiller [noted Costa Rica
marine mural artist] create life-sized
paintings of sharks, which last year
raised $1800 US that we donated to Project
AWARE,” she explains, noting that Rich
Coast is a 100% AWARE operator. Her
shop’s distinctive dives have become a hit
and include shark, manta, turtle, debris,
whale shark, plus Van Gestel recently cre-
ated a PADI Distinctive Specialty course
for bull shark diving.
She stresses that leading environmen-
tal awareness goes with the territory and
is a motivation in itself. Yet as a natural
byproduct, a portion of Van Gestel’s stu-
dents as well as other locals have taken
PADI and AWARE Specialty and Dis-
tinctive Specialty Diver courses. With
education, business growth follows, she
says. “When they learn, they care. Now
we have kids intent on becoming dive-
masters once they turn 18. It’s the next
generation.”
Half a world away in Malaysia, that
“next generation” concern carries weight
with PADI Course Director Clement Lee,
who cities an example of unintended con-
sequences when marine conservation
isn’t part of the diving equation.
The retired PADI Dive Center oper-
ator – a 33-year veteran in the dive
industry and the country’s first PADI
Course Director – was a diving pioneer
of Sipadan and experienced wild success
with his Borneo Divers. But in the course
of a decade, he was drawn toward the
conservation message as he saw a flood
of dive operators and tourists swarm the
island he loved. He voluntarily left the
island in 2004, and was later followed
by other operators under a government
decree seeking to protect the marine
environment. Now, a quota of 120 divers
per day regulates visits, and the island’s
marine life has rebounded magnificently.
“Closing shop wasn’t a popular decision
among operators,” he recalls, “but I wit-
nessed a downward slide in the marine
environment with Sipadan’s popularity.
If something wasn’t done, Sipadan would
disappear as a world-renowned diving
destination.” Lee’s sacrifice led him to his
life’s calling as Tourism Malaysia Advi-
sor for Diving, a position enabling him
to preach the importance of integrat-
ing environmental awareness into the
diving experience. “We have coral resto-
ration, species protection and dive centers
are adopting the environmental ethic – a
complete turnaround. Operators at first
thought they’d go under, but instead the
dive tourism receipts have grown mark-
edly and Sipadan and the Malaysian state
of Sabah are experiencing the highest
quality of diving,” he states proudly.
Some might say the Caribbean island of
Bonaire got out front with the marine con-
servation message early on after listening
to early dive operators and establishing
the encircling Bonaire National Marine
Park in 1979. That commitment runs
particularly strong at PADI Dive Center
Dive Friends Bonaire, which operates five
dive centers and four retail stores. As
I’M A HUGE SHARK
ADVOCATE AND NOW
THEY’RE CELEBRI-
TIES. PEOPLE DIVE WITH
SHARKS, MANTAS, GROU-
PERS – WHATEVER – AND
THEY BECOME THEIR
AMBASSADORS.”
“
COURTESYIMAGESCLOCKWISEFROMTOPLEFT:DIVEFRIENDSBONAIRE;STUARTCOVE’S;DIVEFRIENDSBONAIRE;STUARTCOVE’S;RICHCOASTDIVING;STUART’SCOV

3. Shark Awareness, BahamasBonaire Eco-Challenge
Bahamas underwater cleanup Debris Free Bonaire
Coral nursery, BahamasCosta Rican classroom

4. 44 T H E U N D E R S E A J O U R N A L 2 Q 2 0 1 6
BUSINESS
General Manager Carolyn Caporusso sees
it, there’s no substitute for enthusiasm.
“You can’t fake it,” she says. “When
you’re concerned about the environment,
it shows. If you look at our ads, it’s not
about offers and sales but about recruit-
ing more volunteers and promoting
awareness” of marine conservation. Dive
Friends heavily promotes issues facing
the ocean, evident on one of its main web-
site pages labeled “Eco Activities”, which
looks at related programs and how visit-
ing divers can help out. “We get countless
dive guests who all say, ‘We choose Dive
Friends because of your environmental
programs,’” says Caporusso.
For instance, the 100% AWARE dive
center greets all clients with its over-
arching “Without blue there is no green”
slogan that serves as a roadmap to various
PADI and AWARE distinctive specialty
courses, such as Sea Turtle Awareness,
Dive Against Debris, Reef Fish ID and
others. With so many issues to tackle,
Caporusso says it’s important for dive
centers to “pick one thing that you can do
locally and set aside some of your market-
ing budget to promote it.”
Case in point is Bonaire’s “out of sight,
out of mind” eastern coastline, largely
unseen by many visitors who congregate
along the developed western coast. Dive
Friends created the Debris Free Bonaire
program to call attention to the problem
and encourage volunteers through savvy
persuasion. “Volunteers visit any of our
shop locations for debris bags, enjoy a
scenic drive to the eastern coast and basi-
cally compete to pick up the most trash,”
she says. Filled bags are later returned,
weighed, sorted for recycling, and vol-
unteers’ names are entered into a raffle.
“It’s a fun way to do something positive,”
she says, “and we make sure to notify the
local newspaper to spread the word and
give recognition to the program and vol-
unteers.” Debris cleanups go below as
well, with Dive Friends, customers plan-
ning their Bonaire visits to coincide with
the quarterly annual scheduled efforts.
“These cleanups have become very popu-
lar – we have about 100 customers who’ve
returned many times for the cleanup
dives and won’t book until they know the
dates,” Caporusso says. “It’s a win-win if
you help the environment because div-
ers prefer to spend their money to support
what you’re doing.”
When it comes to confronting marine
environment issues head-on as a stan-
dard course of business, one of the more
aggressive is PADI Five Star Instructor
Development Center Scuba Dogs, based
in Puerto Rico. In cases occurring this
year, several turtles, a nurse shark, reef
fish and other marine species were ille-
gally targeted. For owner Alberto Marti
Ruiz, who founded the dive center in 2002
and now operates an additional location,
it was further proof that Scuba Dog’s
role goes beyond simply providing a dive
experience.
“Our involvement is crucial,” Ruiz
feels, “and as a PADI Five Star Dive Cen-
ter, we realized early on that we could
make an impact.” Ruiz says these latest
incidents underscore why his business is
involved in installing permanent signage
around the San Juan waters of Escam-
bron Marine Park, with a goal to educate
the public about all manner of marine
issues. The initiative is being developed
in unison with the Loggerhead Marinelife
Center in Florida, which offered its exper-
tise. The effort has gotten the attention of
the Puerto Rico Natural Resources as
well, a critical component for establish-
ing the initiative countrywide.
Ruiz says his commitment took on a
life of its own with the 2002 creation of
an educational campaign called “Trash
Fish,” which leads 10 beach cleanups as
part of the annual International Coastal
Cleanup. The global effort, founded by the
Ocean Conservancy, saw 560,000 volun-
teers in 91 countries pick up more than 7
million kilograms/16 million pounds of
trash in 2014.
For Ruiz’s part, his local campaign got
noticed by Ocean Conservancy in 2003,
and requested that Scuba Dogs become
their national Coordinators for Puerto
Rico. As a result, Ruiz launched the Scuba
Dogs Society in 2007 as an independent
nonprofit environmental organization.
Does his involvement help turn the
tide, making divers and potential cus-
tomers ocean advocates? By sharing
information on its ongoing projects and
initiatives, the answer is yes, Ruiz says.
“We have the cleanups and many other
events conducted throughout the year by
the Scuba Dogs Society, and participation
is amazing,” he says. Because underwa-
ter cleanups occur on every dive, the
exercise becomes second nature for div-
ers thereafter.
“I strongly believe our ‘education
through action’ movement has gener-
ated an unprecedented level of awareness
and engagement,” Ruiz says. “Puerto Rico
beaches are cleaner today in large part
because of our society’s movement. It’s
even more evident on the ocean floor.”
And by offering many of the PADI Spe-
cialty Diver courses that dovetail into
the marine conservation ethos Scuba
Dogs embodies, Ruiz feels his dive com-
munity is further incentivized to become
dive ambassadors for years to come.
CALL TO ACTION
Adopt these measures to reflect your com-
mitment to the marine environment
Be a proponent of Project AWARE and
become 100% AWARE
Provide information and education about
the aquatic environment
Engage local government to affect policy
Be a community leader and a spokesper-
son on marine ecology issues
Inform local media of species awareness
and debris cleanups
Use social media as a tool to promote
your participation and how involvement
keeps diving fun
Enable nondiving public participation
Form and publicize fundraisers
Offer PADI and AWARE Specialty and Dis-
tinctive Specialty Diver courses
COURTESYIMAGESCOUNTER-CLOCKWISEFROMTOPLEFT:DIVEFRIENDSBONAIRE;SCUBADOGS

5. PA D I . C O M 45
Debris Free Bonaire
Bonaire Dive Against Debris
Puerto Rico seahorse rescue