Although I have discussed boat , kayak , canoe , raft and even helicopter snorkelling in this column , the vast majority of our snorkel-based diving is conducted from the shore .
With 372 Marine Protected Areas ( MPA ) covering 38 % of the UK ’ s territorial waters , chances are we will all snorkel in one at some point . While MPAs cover many offshore sectors , they also cover large portions of our shoreline , often in areas with great diving . England , for example has around half of its coastline designated as an MPA of some sort . If you ’ d like to see just how much of the UK is covered by MPAs , take a look at the interactive map on the Joint Nature Conservation Committee website jncc . gov . uk / mpa-mapper /
The designation , differences , practical effectiveness and current of policing of MPAs is a topic too great to cover in detail in this column , but here ’ s a summary :
‘ Marine Protected Area ’ is a blanket term covering any marine area , offshore or inshore , which has some official designation and protection . It can exist to protect wildlife , flora , habitat or even historical features . There are currently eight different categories of MPA within the UK , including Sites of Special Scientific Interest ( a term shared with the terrestrial world ), Marine Nature Reserves and the new Highly Protected Marine area ( HPMA ). The different designations dictate what can and cannot be carried out in the area .
The good news for us is that even in HPMAs , as its name suggests the most highly protected area , non-destructive human activities such as kayaking , swimming and , crucially , diving and snorkelling are still allowed . There are now three of these new HPMAs , but since two are offshore the only one relevant to snorkellers is Allonby Bay in Cumbria . It ’ s worth noting that , to avoid damage to vulnerable habitats , dropping anchors or shot-lines is banned in a few MPA places like Studland Bay and Lundy . So , if you are
Moon jelly selfie
PHOTO : DAN BOLT
Snorkelling over a rich kelp bed close to shore
snorkelling from your club RIB , be aware of what the local restrictions are .
What can and should we do as snorkellers ? There are no specific restrictions on us , but sensible precautions and respect should be extended , even if we ’ re not in a MPA . One would hope , as snorkellers , we are all fascinated by , and motivated to protect , the marine environment . So , any support we can provide will help areas recover from damaging activity and only benefit the resident wildlife .
Although care should be taken when entering and exiting the water to minimise disturbance , the most productive thing is to monitor and report what you see through the Seasearch scheme . This citizen-science project , set up by the Marine Conservation Society , has provided vital data over the years which has then been used to support the establishment of , or critique the failings of our MPAs .
To improve marine protection , those at the political sharp end need boots on the ground , or fins in the water , to gather data to solidify the case for expansion , improvement and tightening of the current legislation . It ’ s also fun , gives focus to your dive and will vastly improve your marine life knowledge . More information is
available through the SeaSearch website www . seasearch . or . uk
The sheer volume of marine protection around the UK is encouraging , as is the aspiration to protect more . However , the difficulty in monitoring and policing the underwater world limits how effective this protection can be . Ultimately , the only way to observe what has been going beneath the waves is to get underwater .
Much like the problem with ocean plastic , the diving community was years ahead of the country , because we were seeing what they could not . If huge tracts of forest were being ploughed up overnight , or majestic mounts were being open-cast mined , everyone would be able to witness the situation for themselves . The submerged world is unseen to most , so it falls on those who do choose to explore this inner space to protect a world that cannot protect itself . �
For more information on snorkelling with BSAC go to bsac . com / snorkelling Looking to introduce snokelling into your club ? Find out more at bsac . com / snorkellinginstructor
65