While being environmentally conscious is not a new topic, protecting marine habitats specifically is somewhat newer to the general public. With the UN Ocean Decade now in its third year, there is a growing sense of responsibility for marine ecosystems, but as this awareness grows, with an infinite source of images and videos of marine life streaming around the world, so does the desire for this kind of interaction grow, taking people to ever more remote places to find it. Scuba diving companies have succeeded in offering this, but at what cost?

If we look beyond the environmental impact of the activity in itself, which at times betrays the original sentiment that calls us to dive, there is another argument, just as important, which is seldom discussed: the human impact of diving operations, its implications on local coastal communities and their way of life.

I was miles away when I started planning my short trip to Bali, there were hundreds of options to choose from and it was also incredibly hard to gain insight on these human aspects before arrival. Dive shops often advertise about their focus on conservation and ecology, but very little information is found on their relationship with the neighbouring coastal community. Sadly, it’s not considered relevant. This may be because we are more focussed on what we would like to see in the water, and easily overlook aspects about what is going on out of the water, on dry land, forgetting we are guests in someone else’s home ground, where regular people live their lives.

Just like we would enquire on the environmental practices, here are some questions we could ask before booking a diving holiday: Is the local community involved in the diving operations or are they alienated? What is the relationship like? Who owns the business and where are they from? Are there equitable training programs for locals to become dive guides? Do they take local children diving? How does the dive centre and their operations contribute to the local economy? Are they looking after the marine environment? The answers could lead to better choices and an enhanced experience, knowing there is a positive human impact to our visit.

During my time between Tulamben and Amed I realised there was something particular going on there, I picked up a few interesting details and in conversation with the locals I was able to appreciate their unique dynamic between the local community and the diving operations. The area of Tulamben, with its adjacent 14km strip of fishing villages, is not the typical white-sand and lush green beachfront location one might picture when imagining a holiday in Bali.