côté plongée > centre > eco-responsible centre
Our eco-responsible dive centre
The carbon footprint of Côté Plongée is minimized by its choices always towards a better respect to the environment:
- Utilisation of eco-friendly cleaning product to rinse the equipment. Its biodegradability is greater than 99.5%.
- Control water consumption by using basin, squirt gun and decreasing water pressure.
- Utilisation of plasticized cast iron weights to avoid the use of lead in the open sea
- Utilisation of smaller speedboat, lighter and non-destructive anchor to limit pollution compared with a larger boat.
- Utilisation of 4 strokes engine which is less polluting than 2 strokes ones.
- Clean up the waste on the coastal area daily, on the surface, at the bottom of the Graillon and on the sea.
- Clean up the waste in groups during relevant events at the beginning and at the end of the summer season.
- Seasonal operation The cabin of dive centre is completely taken down. The cabin is on wood in order to better respect the nature and integrate in it.
- Information point for the environmental protection associations and the community services in charge of durable development.
- Install screw anchor. The purpose is to limit the impact of an anchor on the marine habitat. The mooring buoys are fixed to a type of screw anchor which is more friendly to the environment. Total amount for purchase, installation and maintenance is covered by the dive centre.
Côté plongée is also in corporation with many other participants for discovery of sea bottom, inventory operation and the instructors in the marine environment, for example, the project DORIS (Données d'Observations pour la Reconnaissance et l’Identification de la faune et de la flore Subaquatiques), GIS posidonie, GEM (Groupe d’Etude du Mérou), Cybelle Méditerranée…
In 2008, Côté Plongée involve in the project of studying sea bottom from Antibes to Cannes. The dive centre has provided technic support and advises for the researchers of CREOCEAN for their study ordered by the Water Agency, Conseil Regional and DIREN PACA. This project contributes to the ecologic characterization of coastal water in the PACA region
Côté Plongée adhere to the International Guideline for Responsible Divers ‘ Longtitude 181 Natural’. As a signing party, we use awareness platelet for different participants: children, the people who snorkel, hikers, beginner divers, autonomy divers, dive guides and dive centre. This platelet informs these different participants on the necessary knowledge of environment depending on their categories.
This guideline is also used in the form of unsinkable platelet.
Guideline of Longtitude 181 Nature for responsible divers
This charter proposes guidelines and not a list of restrictions!
Apply the suggestions case by case since diving spots and situations change from place to place.
The basic idea is to get people to think about how to optimize diving conditions to protect and ensure fair sharing of the Oceans’ treasures.
1. Prepare your journey
Not all travel agencies and diving centres offer the same services. Some try to protect the environment they help you explore and share natural resources more fairly with host country inhabitants. This may cost them money and make your trip more expensive but together you will contribute to the sustainable development of our planet. The cost per dive should not be your only selection criterion.
- Choose a travel agency which has agreed to respect ethical guidelines.
- Prefer Responsible Diving centres which are concerned with the protection of sea-beds (treatment of solid and liquid wastes, use of mooring buoys etc.) and have invested in local development projects.
- Find out about marine ecosystems you will be exploring.
- Find out about inhabitants of the country you are visiting : their traditions, economy and resources.
2. Before diving
- Get fit. If you have not dived for a long time, train yourself to manage your buoyancy: lung- ballast, weight jacket, optimized ballasting, etc.
- Find out about the dive spot you are exploring before you go. You will enjoy your dives so much more as you will not just be a passive witness in a world in which you cannot speak the language. Learn to read the first pages of the big marine life book. If you can identify the animals, and know how they behave, you will know where to find them. Much of this incredible fauna is hidden.
- Ask your diving centre to give you a presentation of the local ecosystem.
- Ask for the list of threatened species, the list of protected species and all relevant regulations.
- Ask about what the diving centre does to protect the sea ( mooring buoys, etc.)
3. On the boat
- Never throw anything overboard.
- Refuse plastic plates and cups which take scores of years to break down.
- Ask for dustbins on the deck for (if you absolutely need to smoke) cigarette butts (they take months to break down) plastic waste, aluminium foil, etc…
- Take care to attach spare air valves, consoles and pressure gauges firmly sot hey do not dangle and damage fixed flora and the fauna.
- Use short, recreational flippers.
4. When diving
- As soon as you enter the water, check your weights and adjust if necessary.
- Use your flippers gently, so as not to collide with fixed marine life.
- Avoid contact with fixed plants and animals. They are fragile and can be destroyed by repeated shocks.
- Do not bring anything back except pictures!
- Do not bother the animals. If they take refuge in their hiding-place, do not force them out – they are already stressed enough. Wait without moving until they calm down and come out again.
- Do not feed the fish. You change their behaviour and unbalance the ecosystem.
5. After diving
- Save fresh water. It is the most valuable commodity on Earth.
- Ask for equipment designed to conserve fresh water like equipment wash tanks and controlled flow showers.
6. During your holidays
- Try to get outside your diving centre or hotel. There is a world out there waiting to meet you!
- Do not buy souvenirs ripped from the sea like shark teeth, tortoiseshells, starfish, sea horses and other dried fish, coral and shells.
- Boycott restaurants which serve shark fin soup, tortoise meat, cetaceans and fish caught by destructive means like dynamite, cyanide, etc.
- Ask restaurants how the sea fare they propose is fished and what agreements they have with local fishermen.