tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021264273376367703.post3219758034707843347..comments2009-12-08T04:36:57.290-08:00Spot Local Travel Guidehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10967301373954007420noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021264273376367703.post-46839956502327038292009-12-08T04:36:57.290-08:002009-12-08T04:36:57.290-08:00To all Red Sea tourists, divers, and guides:<br /><br />It&#39;s simply not enough to complain on blogs. Those despoiling the Red Sea need to feel your disapproval in tangible ways.<br /><br />The Egyptian authorities, however good their intentions, are still chronically underfunded and undermanned. It is absolutely unrealistic to expect them to be able to patrol every snorkelling/diving site, every day (and even if they did, crews are hardly likely to dump garbage right in front of them). Only through public pressure will the dumpers be exposed and face punishment.<br /><br />If you care about keeping the Red Sea pristine, please do the following:<br /><br />Legal action cannot be taken without documentary evidence. If you see any boat crews dumping rubbish/waste overboard, take a photograph (unobtrusively, if possible). Try to include the boat name/number, or at least the company logo, and send your photos to HEPCA (http://www.hepca.com/contact-hepca.aspx), with the date(s) and location(s) where the criminal offences (dumping IS illegal) occurred.<br /><br />If you see your own boat crew doing so, please first speak (politely) to your guide (or the captain, if you are the guide), explaining why dumping is such a very bad idea. If they ignore you, or laugh it off, report them to HEPCA.<br /><br />If you are a customer on a diveboat, point out to the divecentre who organised your trip that knowingly employing boatcrews who are dumping garbage will get them a very bad press back home (via e.g. dive magazines). Remember, if it&#39;s true, it&#39;s not libel.<br /><br />Keeping the seas safe and clean is everyone&#39;s responsibility.<br /><br />Happy diving.tjs282http://www.blogger.com/profile/16577317934412492655noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021264273376367703.post-70681280565947801712009-12-04T11:32:57.225-08:002009-12-04T11:32:57.225-08:00Just today I saw a snorkeling boat empty oily water just outside small Giftun island, just 50 meters outside from where people snorkel. <br /><br />A lot of the people working with the tourists, do not seem to understand that no reefs and fish = no work or money. They grow up among the rubbish (not an overstatement, look where the children are playing in the backstreet in El Dahar!) so they do not think garbage or a little bit oil is so bad. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of boats with people like that in Hurghada. Some few behave, but 75% do not. <br /><br />If you dive or snorkel in the beaches in Sigala, where boats park, you find anything from empty Coca Cola bottles to oil filter. In piles, so they did not fall overboard in mistake. <br /><br />Oh, and do not forget to take a tour in the dry dock area after 4 pm. Guess where the snorkeling boats that is parked there clean their garbage? Boat after boat empty their garbage in the sea.<br /><br />Look in the touristic harbor or Marine Sport club how the boats fill gas. Every time there is liters that leak from broken pipelines and bad handling. Every fill, every day. There is actually a place to leave the garbage in the Marine Sport Club, but have anyone heard of a place to empty a septic tank. No? Well, me neither. The Red Sea is a not just an dump, it is a toilet. Take care next time you go snorkeling in Small Giftun or Gota Abu Ramada. Do not inhale water! If you are there lunchtime, count how many persons have been on the toilet just on the same line where you are. <br /><br />I have even seen a liveaboard (from a German good reputation company) dump big black plastic garbage bags in the water while passing Abu Mungar. I suppose they where on a tight schedule and cleaning while driving south. <br /><br />The handling of garbage and especially close to the sea is a SHAME for Egypt. This is your heritage, your future, your land. Wake up now and take some responsibility for what is happening.<br /><br />A dead sea is nothing that comes as a surprise, it is a murder that takes a long time to commit.Sannahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04965518163933846284noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6021264273376367703.post-41807085533538438782009-11-30T08:56:39.387-08:002009-11-30T08:56:39.387-08:00hurghada is going down in full speed....the last 5 years nature suffers big time...even on touristic places like giftun Island west of mahmeya, island of abo minkar on north side - shocking pictures of black oil spots and waste of tourists, or over board throwns by the island excursions...there is intensive action requestet to rescue the environment. <br />Me, personally whitness so many garbage bags floating on the water, right after the excursion boats??? wonder howe they get there...<br />I hope the locals wake up and protect their treassures....soon, otherwise its getting too late!t.bruno24http://www.blogger.com/profile/04846915395253789964noreply@blogger.com