NAUI Advanced Scuba Diver
102 Other Diving Specialties
FIGURE 10-5. Collecting shells and other material is sometimes restricted. Make sure you have checked before you take anything from the aquatic
is a great way to meet people and make new friends.
Many divers make the objective of their dive the
finding of artifacts. Indian artifacts and other products
of human workmanship are interesting and can provide
valuable historical information. As artifact-seeking
divers become more zealous in their quest for relics,
they frequently become students of archaeology; and
significant archaeological contributions have been made
by recreational divers who became serious about their
pastime. After all, a find that is brought to the attention
of experts and shared with everyone through science and
displayed in a museum is much more valuable than a
find that is hoarded away by an individual. An artifact
that is retained privately is one that might provide critical
information to an experienced archaeologist, and a similar
object may never be found again. It would be tragic if
such a find were to be kept from making its contribution
to our understanding of the past.
Also keep in mind that artifacts are often protected by
law, so be sure to familiarize yourself with laws and ordinances
before you start out after souvenirs of the past.
Fossil collecting is an underwater activity that is
gaining in popularity in some areas. Seeking and finding
an object which is thousands of years old can be every bit
as challenging and rewarding as any other form of hunting
and collecting, and the diver again has the opportunity
to make a contribution to science. Fossil finds should
be shared with paleontologists just the same as artifacts.
Divers have achieved recognition and acclaim for sharing
fossil finds. With any form of collecting in which you may
discover something unique, it is extremely important that
a willingness to contribute your find for the good of all be
a prerequisite to your participation in the activity.
Shell collecting is also very popular (figure 10-5).
Because it can involve taking living animals, it requires
conservation-minded participants. Amateur collectors are
encouraged to seek dead specimens. However, even dead
shells provide homes for other animals who take over
their shells. Proper collecting techniques include finding
an area in which shells of a particular species are plentiful
and then taking only one of them. The taking of all of
the shells located, especially if there is a scarcity of them,
is selfish and unethical. When collecting shells in earnest,
traveling to remote areas is recommended because the
shelling will be better and because your effect on the shell
community may be less harmful.
Taking close-up pictures of living shells is preferred
to the collecting of shells, whether living or dead. The
animals are actually more beautiful when alive and
extended. The beauty of the shell and the memory of the
dive can be preserved with a photograph, while the animal
remains to propagate the species and provide enjoy-
environment.