Vital Snorkel Tip

[dakwriter]

After reading many posts/threads on snorkeling, I feel duty-bound to advise AGAINST feeding fish at snorkeling sites. Unlike a visit to the zoo where you might feed treats especially made for the zoo animals, when snorkeling in the ocean you are visiting wild creatures in their native habitat. They definitely do not thrive on frozen peas, crackers, cookies, cereal or other foods made for land-based animals. What you don't see after you leave the beach is that many fish fed in such ways suffer and die as a result. Others do not get the nutrition they need in order to produce offspring. And the residues of such foods also damage the living coral reefs and other marine habitats.

 

I know it's tempting to draw bunches of fish to you by feeding them, but please resist the urge and enjoy viewing these animals in their native habitats -- without harming them. Thanks. :cool:

[TurtleTagger]

Thank you. While having fish swarm about you may be neat, you are just contributing to their premature demise by feeding them. There are plenty of fish around GC waters to observe and marvel at without the need for bait. Schools of Blue Tang, Chubs and others will still make close passes to check you out even when there is no food offered.

[TNyankee]

Greetings,

This has always been a question for me and I have never indulged in giving "people food" to wild fish. I have seen many places selling fish food in biodegradable sausage like casings with the claim that it is intended for wild fish and even beneficial. Do you know anything about these? Certainly not arguing against your original point... just asking about products that folks will undoubtedly run into in their travels. Thanks for the information!

[dakwriter]

Greetings,

This has always been a question for me and I have never indulged in giving "people food" to wild fish. I have seen many places selling fish food in biodegradable sausage like casings with the claim that it is intended for wild fish and even beneficial. Do you know anything about these? Certainly not arguing against your original point... just asking about products that folks will undoubtedly run into in their travels. Thanks for the information!

There is no way to verify the ingredients in such products. You might think you'd be better off bringing fish food from home, but even using this is illegal in many places and not recommended at all. In addition to upsetting the natural balance of the marine animal population, residues are still a problem, the water can become very cloudy from introduced "foods," people have been harmed by swarming fish and sometimes folks "forget" or lose the plastic bags they brought, adding non-biodegradable trash to a formerly pristine area. My advice is to avoid all such contaminants. :cool:

[smilz]

Feeding them also makes them aggresive. I was bitten in the thigh at Coke Beach in St Thomas when another snorkeler created a feeding frenzy among the seargent majors. I had no idea that they have earned the reputation as "pirranahs of the carribean" from such feeding. Heed the plea...don't feed!;)

[Stevesan]

A snorkel guide fed torn off tortilla strips.

That was in a Marine Park where feeding the marine life anything is illegal.

I don't have to tell you it was a ship spomsored trip.

The fish did love the tortillas. It was at Cozumel.

[dakwriter]

A snorkel guide fed torn off tortilla strips.

That was in a Marine Park where feeding the marine life anything is illegal.

I don't have to tell you it was a ship spomsored trip.

The fish did love the tortillas. It was at Cozumel.

And people wonder why there are fewer and fewer fish to be found, let alone why coral reefs are dying. This practice is only one of the causes, but preventable if we can make folks aware of the dangers. Of course there will always be some who think they can be the exception to the rule. That guide should have been reported to the authorities, but I presume that didn't happen. If only he/she had set a GOOD example instead of such a bad one. :(