10 simple ways to share your unique diver’s perspective

More than anyone else, divers experience the beauty of the world underwater as well as above ground. For World Ocean Day we encourage you to share your perspective as a diver who is invested in a healthy ocean – with other divers and your land-based community!

Organize a big or small celebration for World Ocean Day and use your experience with the ocean to inspire others.

Here are a few ideas: 

  1. Petition your national leaders to protect 30×30. Protecting 30% of our lands, waters and ocean by 2030 is going to take ‘all hands on deck’ and it’s critical that divers and other ocean lovers ask their national leaders to support this global movement. See the Conservation Action Focus for more information on how you can help, no matter where you live! 
  2. Clean up coastal habitats, including the ocean floor with fellow divers. See the the World Ocean Day Aquatic Cleanup Guide for ideas on how divers can help. For instance, you can take your cleanup to the next level and do some outreach in a public place with the trash. An eye-catching trash sculpture or community art project can draw people in, so you can help them make a difference. This can raise a lot of awareness with the public if your dive spot is in a tourist-heavy area.
  3. Organize a purposeful dive meet-up. World Ocean Day provides a unique opportunity to celebrate! In addition to enjoying diving together, ask everyone to commit to doing something to help protect the ocean you love. Sign the 30×30 petition as individuals and as a club. Divers can also fundraise for a good cause, or join a group like the NAUI Green Diver Initiative or PADI, or be part of SSI’s Blue Oceans.
  4. Inspire kids. Kids go crazy for the mystery of the deep and its weird creatures. Take some kids snorkeling or go all-out and host a live-dive event to introduce them to ocean creatures. If you haven’t heard of The Octonauts yet, let us introduce you: they are a team of underwater heroes on a mission to explore, rescue, and protect ocean animals – kids go crazy for them! We have free Octonauts-themed World Ocean Day materials with a conservation message available to download on our materials page of the website.
  5. Collect local conservation data with a reef survey. Connect with local organizations that help protect the ocean, and ask what you can do to help them. Partnering with a local organization for a big World Ocean Day survey could make a big difference for your favorite spot’s future! And then work to protect it by adding in an opportunity for participants to sign a 30×30 petition!
  6. Learn about invasive species at your favorite dive spot. Organize a workshop to inform other divers and remove individual invasive species if it’s safe and practical. For example, you can participate in a lionfish derby to remove this harmful species and contribute to lionfish research.
  7. Talk shop – dive shop. You don’t have to go underwater to celebrate, bring the celebration up on land! Connect with a local dive shop to organize some World Ocean Day outreach. World Ocean Day is a great opportunity to draw people into the shop with a sale or promotion and ask them to help protect the ocean while they’re inside. Suggest ways to be a green diver and join the action for our blue planet. You can also invite local conservation and sustainability-focused organizations to come set up a table!
  8. Keep sites beautiful for future divers. Locations visited by many divers can be harmed if sustainable diving practices are not followed. As an individual choose green diving operators. As an organization you can help with cleanups and practice sustainable activities on your boats. Learn how to make your organization green.
  9. Savor sustainable seafood with friends. Make healthy and sustainable choices and share your knowledge and interest with your friends. Many people want to help, they just aren’t aware of the issues. Certain fishing industries are overfished and not all fish farming is done well. Be an educated consumer so you and your friends can keep the ocean healthy and productive for future generations.
  10. Save energy in your community to protect the ocean! Reduce your energy use in your home and work and encourage your neighbors and colleagues to do so, too – saving energy conserves carbon and helps protect our ocean planet and if you can help your office or colleagues help in this way you can make a big impact!

If you plan a dive event, use the free World Ocean Day resources such as posters and social media graphics.

Let us know if you are interested in planning an event on 8 June (or anytime year-round!) so we can help you amplify and publicize your event to your community and share with the world!