Influence of scuba divers' specialization on their underwater behavior
- Resource Type
- Academic Journal
- Authors
- Salim, Nurbaidura; Bahauddin, Azizi; Mohamed, Badaruddin
- Source
- Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 2013, Vol. 5, Issue 4, pp. 388-397.
- Subject
- research-article
Research paper
cat-THOS
Tourism & hospitality
cat-ETS
EcoTourism & sustainability
cat-ITH
International tourism & hospitality
cat-TDP
Tourism development & planning
cat-SST
Sustainable tourism
cat-TTH
Trends in tourism & hospitality
cat-HIND
Hospitality industry
cat-TIND
Tourism industry
Scuba diving
Recreation specialization
Divers
Diving skills
Underwater behavior
Coral reefs
Conservation
Malaysia
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 1755-4217
This study aims to examine the relationship between recreation specialization and diver's underwater behavior in Perhentian Island.
Data were collected using a pilot survey on 50 divers in Perhentian Island. In‐depth interviews with several dive operators were also conducted to support the findings.
Specialized divers tend to recognize unacceptable behavior rather than less specialized divers. Skilled specialized divers tend not to touch the reefs and not to collect dead pieces of the corals compared to less skilled divers.
Specialization and skills of divers can be used as an input to study diver underwater behavior while simultaneously providing insights on coral preservation.
It is important to manage diver behavior as there are now several diving operators who offer unlimited diving packages catering to day and night diving from shore. Divers can minimize their impacts by practicing responsible diving behavior. Measures emanating from this study on diver underwater behavior may be implemented to encourage responsible scuba diving activity among divers and ensure longevity of the coral reefs.