The activity we love doing uses a natural resource, the ocean. As divers, we practice diving as a leisure activity, and as professionals we practice it as a way of life. Which is why it’s everybody’s responsibility to take care, respect and improve it, and pass these practices on to everybody else.
If you really are a responsible diver, you feel you are an ecoturist and you like diving centers that promote respect and care for sea life. If you want your fellow divers to be responsible divers and for them to improve their techniques to protect our marine environment…
DO NOT DAMAGE | 〉 | AVOIDING ANY IMPACT AGAINST THE SEABED |
LOW IMPACT | 〉 | DO NOT TOUCH OR MOVE ANYTHING |
RESPECT | 〉 | INTERACTING WITH MARINE SPECIES IN A PASSIVE WAY (DO NOT DISTURB OR FEED) |
HELP | 〉 | PICKING UP ANY TYPE OF POLLUTING DEBRIS |
WE PRESERVE | 〉 | We don’t overcrowd the diving spots. Ships with a maximum of 10 divers + 2 local guides. |
WE INFORM | 〉 | We inform about the 4 essential rules we all must follow before each immersion with a sustainable diving briefing. |
WE HELP | 〉 | One guide per 5 divers takes care and supervises the environmentally friendly practices, as well as providing with more confidence and safety for the less experienced divers. |
WE CONFIRM | 〉 | Newly qualified divers or divers that haven’t dived in more than 6 months, will do a “Refresh” dive in which we will revise techniques of controlled descent, safety and the dive buddy, buoyancy and stability, air and computer management, correct use of the jacket air valves, as well as attending to any request the diver needs to revise. |
WE EDUCATE | 〉 | We offer measures to be taken to avoid damaging the seabed, doing all our immersions focused on mastering buoyancy and flapping. Also, we offer environmental training to show you the techniques of responsible diving. |
Your collaboration is key, without your support we won’t achieve anything. At Balkysub we do marine environment conservation programs in every area.
Study of marine biology and interactions.
Concepts about environment, marine debris and it’s effects.
Marine environment sustainability.
Studying about sharks and their preservation.
Studying about coral reefs.
Studying about manta rays.
Studying about whale sharks.
〉 | We are ONE of the TWO dive centers in Spain with the 100% AWARE Partner badge. |
〉 | In 2009 we contributed to the creation of the worldwide PADI Green Star AWARD and were the first center in Spain to win it. |
〉 | We have done countless actions each day to conserve our marine environment, which is why we have been recognized and awarded multiple times. |
〉 | We act in a responsible way with the environment, highlighting the recycling of water we use to clean all our equipment. |
It’s a worldwide movement of divers that protect our Planet Ocean each time we dive. We focus on the more critical problems like endangered sharks and marine debris.
Project AWARE gives strength to thousands of divers in more than 180 countries to work together for a cleaner, healthier and richer planet ocean. Project AWARE is a non-profit registered organization.
Balkysub is 100% AWARE since the beginning. We are very proud of contributing a little bit everyday with each student and each dive for the preservation of our ocean. If you do your diving course with Balkysub, you will obtain your special “Project AWARE” card that identifies you as a diver that makes an effort to take care of planet ocean.
Even though the concept is very simple, the evaluation made for the PADI Green Star Award is a very important element within their environmental actions. There are relatively few companies that are being recognized for their preservation efforts. The granting of PADI’s Green Star helps introduce environmentally friendly methods in companies and encourages universal involvement.
Some diving companies have taken the lead in the efforts of preserving their community for years. Others are new in the industry but have designed their activities and procedures around the most sustainable and environmentally friendly options.
However, to do all the positive and dramatic changes needed, a real commitment must be reached from all the people that have a personal interest in the progress of the environment. PADI’s Green Star Award project challenges all diving centers to make a difference and foresees a concentrated effort to reduce our collective ecological footprint.