To mark the launch of the first #UnderwaterSelfieDay, we share 10 Tips for Underwater Photographers. Pledge to follow the 10 Tips for Divers to Protect the Ocean Planet: Take Only Photos - Leave Only Bubbles.

Underwater Selfie Day is a PADI and Go Pro initiative aimed at getting people around the world to make a statement for ocean conservation. The photo contest encourages divers to put a spotlight on the human connection to the ocean – showing millions of people around the world just how incredible it really is and why it’s worth protecting.

10 Tips for Underwater Photographers

1. Dive carefully in fragile aquatic ecosystems. Improper photo techniques can damage sensitive aquatic life. Many fragile organisms and can be harmed by the bump of a camera, tank, a swipe of a fin, or even the touch of a hand.
    
2. Camera systems can add weight and drag. Make sure your equipment is secured and you are weighted properly to prevent drag over reefs or other vital habitats.  Practice buoyancy control skills in a pool or sandy area before swimming near a coral reef or any sensitive environment. Control your buoyancy, swim slowly, and take care not to hold on to or touch fragile organisms with your body, dive, or camera equipment.

3. Don’t harass or disturb organisms for the sake of a picture. Never touch, handle, move, feed, chase or hitch rides on aquatic life. These actions may cause stress to the animal, interrupt feeding and mating behavior or provoke aggressive behavior in a normally non-aggressive species.

4. Don’t try to cause unnatural behaviors to get a shot. Instead, be patient, still, and allow the organism to show natural behavior for a more significant and meaningful photo.

5. Limit the number of shots taken of an individual species. Repeated bursts of a strobe may harm eyesight and cause undue stress on an organism.
    
6. Be aware of local regulations and protocols regarding behavior around marine mammals and other species before entering the water. This is for your safety and theirs.

7. Take only pictures and leave only bubbles. Resist the urge to collect souvenirs. Collecting specimens such as corals and shells can deplete dive sites of their resources and beauty in a short time.
    
8. Be an AWARE diver – enroll in a Peak Performance Buoyancy, Coral Reef Conservation, or Project AWARE Specialty course to learn sustainable dive techniques and increase your knowledge about the environment you’re photographing.
    
9. Before each photographic adventure – remind yourself of your responsibility to the environment. No photo is worth damaging the environment to get. When in doubt – err on the side of conservation.
    
10. Use your images for conservation. Report environmental disturbances or destruction of dive sites using your images as evidence. Contribute your photos to assist scientific research and improve resource management through monitoring programs.

The fight to protect the ocean planet begins with each and every one of us. Small conservation actions multiplied by many like-minded individuals can add up to big results. Make the 10 Tips for Underwater Photographers and Project AWARE's 10 Tips pledge part of your code of conduct as a responsible diver.

Photo by Borja Gómez-Rey on Unsplash