What is the Most Important Thing to Remember While Snorkeling?

May 19, 2022 4 min read

What is the most important thing to remember while snorkeling? Keeping your hands to yourself and breathing deeply are a few of the most important tips. You also want to avoid human-initiated interaction and wear the right clothing. And last but not least, protect yourself from the sun. Below are some tips that will make your snorkeling experience a much safer one. Read on to find out more about these tips and start your next snorkeling adventure!

Breathe Deep and Slow

One of the most important things to remember when snorkeling is to breathe deeply and slowly. This will ensure that you get maximum airflow and fill your lungs with fresh, clean oxygen. If you don't practice this habit, you may find yourself asphyxiating in the water, and this could even be fatal. By taking the time to breathe slowly, you will avoid drowning and avoid many health risks.

To maintain a proper air supply and eliminate carbon dioxide buildup, you need to breathe deeply and slowly. During your ventilation cycles, your body exchanges little air, so breathing deeply helps the body get more oxygen. When you're resting, you do not exercise, so your breathing is shallow. However, when you're exercising or participating in some other form of mild exercise, you breathe deeply and slowly. Deep breathing helps you get more oxygen into your muscles, which is particularly important when you're snorkeling.

Avoid Fuman-Initiated Interactions

While snorkeling, you must always try to stay away from marine animals. This is because your presence can disturb their natural behavior and cause them stress. You can also follow the Code of Conduct of Project AWARE to learn more about marine wildlife and be more careful. Also, AWARE Week events are held worldwide to promote responsible snorkeling. By following these guidelines, you can enjoy a memorable and educational snorkeling experience.

Keep Your Hands to Yourself

While snorkeling, remember to keep your hands to yourself. Many marine life are aggressive and can attack if you touch them. Do not try to touch small holes in rocks, or rake the sea bed, as you may accidentally disturb the life below. Also, try to keep your hands away from your face and eyes, as touching your face may make some marine creatures feel threatened and attack. Keep these tips in mind to enjoy your snorkeling experience and avoid stings.

As with any activity, keep your hands to yourself while snorkeling. Touching marine life could cause harm to it and could damage their fragile ecosystem. Never touch a sea turtle, which is protected by law. Touching them could cause bleeding or an infection. Floating on your back is a much safer alternative. Wear a life jacket if you are not a strong floater. Choose calm water - avoid waves as these can hinder your ability to see underwater.

Protect Yourself From Sunburn

It is crucial to protect yourself from the harmful effects of sunlight while snorkeling, particularly for children. While the water itself can reflect up to 10 percent of the rays of the sun, it is not a sufficient barrier against the harmful ultraviolet rays. Light-colored clothing should be worn in the water, and cotton can also transmit considerable amounts of UVR. Wearing protective clothing is also important during hot weather, when your skin will need to be protected from the heat and sun.

When snorkeling, the risk of UV overexposure is greatest between 11 AM and 3 PM. Morning and dusk trips may be the best choices, since wildlife is more active at night. Night snorkeling is an exciting adventure because marine ecosystems are dynamic, and a single reef or beach will look very different at night than it does during the day. You will see new critters and observe different behaviors that you wouldn't normally notice.

Protect Coral Reefs

Those who go snorkeling should keep in mind a few simple steps to protect the coral reefs. First of all, be sure to practice good swimming and keep distance from corals. It is better to learn in advance how deep is the water in the place you plan to swim. If you plan on snorkeling in shallow water, make sure you take into account the extra length of your fins when you kick. Second, be sure not to disturb the corals by stirring up sediment. This can smother them with sand and block out the light they need to survive. Third, use a buoyancy aid if you're in shallow water.

If you go snorkeling with a tour company, make sure to choose one that practices the three R's to keep the area clean. You can also ask the tour company if they practice these practices when renting equipment. If the company is a member of an environmental organization, it should encourage its staff to be responsible when renting equipment. Then, you can be a part of their initiatives. You can also organize beach clean-ups and help keep the water clear.



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