Hitting the beach to relax is a great way to unwind. But remember that you owe it to the planet to be careful and responsible while you are holidaying too! You also need to protect the increasingly affected ocean. While we know we are on the brink of catastrophe, we often wonder what to do. Eating only sustainably sourced fish and using plastics are just two ways of helping the ocean, but it is too less. This simple solution is certainly not the solution you are looking for. Yes, there are more proactive ways to favor yourself and the world by saving the ocean. Go ahead. The ways are simple enough. Here are six ways you can do it.
Clean the beach
What is the first thing you notice on a beach? Whether it is clean or not, right? Besides the azure beauty of the sea, of course. The only way to do it, stop leaving behind tons of things you bring to the beach. Clean it after you are done with the beach. Pick up the trash even if it is not yours. So, ensure you are not part of making your sea murkier, dirtier, and filling it up with more plastic. The more plastic you dump into the sea, the more it is going to choke innocent animals. Also, try and reduce the use of plastic straws in your cup.
Go for toxic-free sunscreens
Always take care of the kind of sunscreens you use. Chemically laden sunscreens can have a toxic impact on marine life. You can try some, zinc which is said to deflect harmful rays without affecting the coral reproductive systems. There are countries that ban oxybenzone and octinoxate containing sunscreens, so choose an environmental-friendly sunscreen brand.
Eat local seafood
Eat local food as much as possible, seafood which is in the lower food chain. Well, at least thirty-one percent of the fish population is being overfished. One way you can avoid that is to eat local, fresh, sustainable seafood, which leaves one a lower carbon print that supports local fishermen. When you choose lower shellfish and smaller fish, it will help protect the bigger fish, such as tuna, in the food chain. Check out the fishes which you can eat to maintain the food chain, sardines, mackerel, sardines, herring, and more.
Look out for marine mammals
When you speak of marine life, take care of marine mammals. Look around if you see any animals injured or stranded near you, don’t try to treat it yourself. Notify the lifeguards around you. Though you may have the best interest to save them, you may not know exactly what to do to rejuvenate them and help them recover.
Donate to protect
Take it upon yourself to donate towards the ocean’s betterment to revive and clean up a beach near you. Donate on towards some conservation groups to protect coastal ecosystems. There are conservation groups that work towards the betterment of the ocean, keeping it clean and saving the waves. If donating isn’t your thing, you can contribute in myriad other ways, such as volunteering and working towards making a healthy ocean.
Choose hotels that maintain high standards in conservation
When you choose hotels, ensure you choose one with a clear conscience which maintains the hotels and the surrounding with a clear conscience. Some hotels are specifically working towards lessening the use of plastics. You can also choose places that have been earlier hit by hurricanes and now trying their best to restore their business to its former glory. Ensure you contribute in your small way to help the hotel industry recover.
The ocean is struggling, what with overfishing, dumping chemicals into the ocean, and changing the quality of water, acidifying it in the process, we are in for a big task to save the ocean. While we love clean sand beaches, we must ensure to keep it that way. Imagine if each person who visits the beaches doesn’t leave their junk or litter behind and tried to help marine animals, the beach would be a cleaner and greener place. Just following these simple basic steps could produce big results and make your beachy summer vacations more meaningful. The next time you go visiting a beach, keep your eyes and ears open so that you can do your bit in cleaning the beach and keep marine animals safe.