The Ocean Fox Cotton Bay LIBRARY is composed of three sections; Coral, Fish and Other Creatures. The purpose of the Library is provide an opportunity for our guest to see, in advance of going into the water, the types of Coral and Marine Life they will likely encounter during diving or snorkeling.
We have some of the most beautiful reefs in the world, and to maximize your enjoyment, the more marine life you can identify by name the more enjoyable the in the water experience. With regard to CORAL, touching or bumping into or against coral can severely damage or kill the coral. Good buoyancy control is critical for staying off the coral and helping ensure that our reefs remain pristine for all divers. If you have to put your hands down for stability, please try to do so in a place where there is no live coral. We ask that you not wear gloves on the Shallow reef dives; if you do need gloves to keep your hands warm, please don’t touch the coral. Remember “Take nothing but pictures, and leave nothing but bubbles.”
Never touch anything you cannot identify, and remember as it says in the PADI Open Water Diver Manual, “Nearly all injuries involving aquatic life (plants or animals) result from human carelessness, and the vast majority are minor. It takes only a little bit of understanding and care to avoid potential problems.”
“Very few aquatic animals are outwardly aggressive. Injuries from animals that may seem aggressive, such as eels and stingrays, actually result from frightening animals, causing them to react defensively.”
With regard to FISH and OTHER CREATURES the slower you move in the water the more likely it is you will get to maximize your viewing experience, especially if you are doing photography.
“GUEST CHALLENGE”: before your dive or snorkel, take time to peruse the LIBRARY and get to know as much of what you are likely to see, and then see how much marine life you can identify. If you end up with a photograph of any marine life better than the one in our library, send us your photograph and we will gladly substitute your photograph for that item and provide photo credit for you. Thanks for diving with Ocean Fox Cotton Bay.
