Learn to scuba dive in the Red Sea

Planet

We are fully committed to reducing the impact of tourism on the precious environment in Dahab. To this end we try strive to not use any single use plastics and look for every opportunity to reduce our environmental footprint and of course, encourage our guests to do the same.
We are also proud members of the internationally acclaimed Green Fins organisation.

How do you see responsible tourism in action on this trip?
Everywhere from our rooms, which are supplied with large water dispensers so you can fill your own re-usable water container, to encouraging less waste of water in showers as well as supplying cotton tote bags provided for shopping locally.
Glass bottles are offered by default in our restaurant, saving 95% of plastic bottle use.
Our staff use a bike to collect shopping and use reusable bags for this.

Does this trip visit or show support for one of our projects or any local projects?
We support local initiatives such as beach and sea clean ups, providing help and biodegradable bags for clean ups, as well as just ‘picking it up when we see it’ as well as internationally with Green Fins.
We have encouraged many local cafes and restaurants to stop or reduce their use of single-use plastic especially the dreaded plastic drinking straw which we have not used ourselves for years.
We offer glass bottles of water as the default option and have managed to reduce plastic bottle use by 95%.

Do the local leaders give a Responsible Travel briefing?
We follow Green Fins protocol for diving too which includes a full environmental briefing.
All our guides are very aware of the precious environment and our responsibility to keep it free of damage.
We do regular rubbish pickups on the shore and in the sea, leading by example.
Our diving is designed to make sure that divers understand how to dive without touching or harming any of the precious aquatic life and our deliberately small diver to instructor ratio of 4-1 helps us to do so.


Do travelers receive a Responsible Travel Code of Conduct?
Yes, we suggest many ways that guests can follow our guidelines via a ‘How to be a responsible tourist’ information on their guest information, in their room.

What does the accommodation do to minimise its impact? Has it got good environmental/social practices? (e.g. with regard to conserving water & energy, recycling, composting, organic gardening, purchasing of food locally, local employment etc.)
We follow best practices advised by Green Fins, everything from; environmentally friendly cleaning products to windproof ashtrays to rubbish pick ups.
We conserve water by watering our club plants with well water. We have replaced grass with artificial grass to minimise water use. We ask our guests to have their air con set lower than 26 degrees so it does not use as much energy. We recycle all our food scraps to local goats. All our food is purchased locally. Every item in the club is sourced locally if possible too, allowing small local businesses to flourish i.e. bedding, towels, food, supplies etc.,

What is the group size and how does this impact on the community and environment?
4-1
We are the only dive club in the Red Sea which stipulates a maximum number of divers to Instructor/guide of just 4-1…this minimizes any potential for damage to the precious reef as well as enhancing the divers experience and making them better divers, for everywhere they might go afterwards.
We also provide net bags for rubbish collection, added to every BCD.

As a company, what is your environmental policy in your office?
We are mostly a paperless office, mostly using online forms where possible; check-in forms, personal information, diving paperwork and employ the Refuse, Reuse, and Recycle practice.

We are excited to be a part of the Green Fins International initiative.
Green Fins is a proven conservation management approach – implemented internationally by The Reef-World Foundation and the UN Environment Programme – which leads to a measurable reduction in the negative environmental impacts associated with marine tourism. It aims to protect coral reefs through environmentally friendly guidelines promoting sustainable diving and snorkelling. It provides the only internationally recognised environmental standards for marine tourism and its robust assessment system measures compliance.

People

Is the accommodation locally owned? Do you use local restaurants/shops/markets/transport etc.?
Yes the accommodation is owned by an Egyptian family, with strong ties to the Bedouin community, formed over 25 years here.
We also encourage our guests to use the local restaurants, markets and shops whilst they are here. When they are diving we take them to local cafes to eat and drink, this way they have rest and have shade between dive,as well as supporting the local economy. We also recommend other places than our own for eating out in the evening.

Local economic development? Do you use local leaders on this trip? Have they had training?
Yes we use local Bedouin and Egyptian guides and drivers for all our safari and dive work. They are highly skilled in navigating the desert and many were born there; knowledgeable, warm and friendly.

Does the trip visit anywhere where the fees paid will help with restoration/conservation?
We pay annual fees to Green Fins. Blue Hole takes a fee (authorities) for the National Park preservation. We also pay fee to a local Bedouin clean up group.
Fees are paid locally to everyone we use, we pay for use of tents and shelters and tea making by our Bedouin friends on every safari. Ultimately as the indigenous people of the Sinai, this filters down and allows an ancient culture and way of life to continue.