Why We Love Coral Restoration

“You work hard, save money to go on vacation. Why would you spend your vacation restoring coral?”

I’ve heard this dozens of times and my response is always the same: “because I love it”. This is usually followed by a several minute rant of reasons, a few of which I’ll share with you here:

It’s Unique
The “specialty” of Coral Restoration is quite unique, in that few ares in the world offer such an opportunity. There are specific natural requirements needed to generate a project of this magnitude and if you’re lucky enough to visit them, why not take part?  What is Coral Restoration?

Marine Life
Have you ever sat on the bottom of the ocean for 60-80 minutes at a time, just to see what happens around you? Most scuba divers don’t. We like to explore and swim until we see every inch of fascinating marine life we can muster in just under 3000 psi. But, Coral Restoration allows you to stay in one place for a length of time, at a shallow depth and soon you find creatures start coming up to you instead of having to chase them. I’ve become good friends with a Spanish Hogfish, Puddingwife, Tarpon and countless schools of Snapper, Surgeonfish and French Grunts. And, I’ve seen an occasional Eagle Ray swim by as well.

Helping Out
Of course there’s the benefit of helping out, doing good and feeling good about doing something positive. I’m not a touchy-feely person, but to be able to offer some of my abilities up for the greater good is just fantastic and I love it.

Relaxing
My life is busy. I work like most people and have a few moments to escape and enjoy nature to bring me back down to earth. Spending time underwater with nothing but the sound of your breath and the simple task of scrubbing algae off mono-filament is surprisingly relaxing. Simplicity is not overrated, it’s stress-reducing and can be wonderful if you take a moment to try it out. If you’re preparing to relax on your vacation, try doing an hour or so of coral cleaning, then grab a bite to eat and take a nap. You’ll sleep like a baby.

Learning
There are so many things to learn – from coral to marine life, people to equipment, I’m constantly learning more and more. Is it useful information? Maybe, maybe not, but like a fiction novel that takes you on an adventure for a few moments, coral restoration takes me to another place in this world. A happy place.

If you are interested in learning more or becoming a certified Coral Restoration Specialist, visit my coral loving friends in Bonaire. www.crfbonaire.org. Tell them the DiveDoggie sent you.