Snorkeling and Diving on Maui – Know Your Reef Etiquette

At Allsave Car Rental Maui, our car rental customers often ask about snorkeling and scuba diving in Maui’s waters. We’ll save the specific location tips for next month’s blog — for now, we’d like to focus on understanding reef etiquette in Hawaii.

Underwater Conservation Tips

For the sake of the ecosystem and your own safety, please keep the following conservation tips in mind when heading into the water to swim, play, snorkel, or dive:

It takes decades or more for corals to create colonies that become reef structures. Remain buoyant. Do not walk upon, stand on, or touch the coral as they are very sensitive and can easily be damaged or killed.
Try not to stir up the sand and sediment when near coral structures. The silt can actually smother them.
Do not try to touch, hold or play with any of the marine life.
Do not feed any of the fish, ocean birds, or other marine life since this can disrupt their natural feeding habits and make them ill.
Leave the reef and its inhabitants as you found them. The only thing that should be removed is trash if you spot any.
When out boating, do not drop anchor on the reef. This can do great harm to a delicate ecosystem. Instead, look for sandy areas free of coral and sea grasses to safely anchor your boat.
Be sure you pick up your trash along the shore and off the boat. It’s easy for marine animals and birds to mistake human garbage for tasty morsels and get ill.
Learn more about coral reefs and what you can do to protect them by visiting the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program website or looking at their helpful infographic.

For adventurous travelers like you who are looking to explore everything Maui has to offer both underwater and on land, Allsave Car Rental Maui offers reliable and affordable rental cars, Jeeps, SUVs, vans, and trucks. Contact us today at (808) 875-9200 to learn about our current specials or to request a reservation.