Underwater trails: A new possibility of marine tourism

For the first time in Brazil, an underwater-guided tour was created for the practice of snorkeling in the city of Porto Belo at Joao da Cunha Island in the state of Santa Catarina. The main objective was to develop a diving activity that could be carried out under strict rules so to cause minimum environmental impact or human health damage. When the trails are properly planned, damage can be minized. As self-guided trails they can provide the divers education about the marine life they observe. This may concern the divers to have more conscience about the environment, as well as the impact they are able to do. For eight months twenty-five expeditions have taken place in the whole island in order to scout and select the best areas for scuba diving and underwater trails. Based on biological, physical and social indicators, public material was developed, such as leaflets containing. information about natural sites for diving and species that occur in the area was collected in order to identify biota of the diving areas. We identified 26 species of marine invertebrates, 42 species of fish and 36 genera of algae. Between December 13th, 200 and February 28th, 2001, underwater trails opened to divers visiting the Island. A number of 1429 visitors dove in groups of 5 people, guided by a monitor. Before diving the monitor would present visitors with safety instructions and information about the natural environment. To make the activity more enjoyable and educative waterproof trail guides were given to the tourists for them to identify the organisms they could observe while diving. A poll was made to help define the profile of the visitors who experienced the underwater trails and their opinion about them. Results show that most of the visitors were divers with little or no experience in diving. Most of them also showed interest in attending classes to learn scuba diving as a way to improve their diving abilities and their contact with underwater natural environments. Other aspects such as safety measures during snorkeling and local community involvement in snorkeling as a tourist activity were also evaluated. The conclusion is that studies like this can provide subsides for the establishment of under-water trails as a coordinated and formal tourist activity that integrates both the natural environment potential and its protection, but also the main social-economical conflicts about the use of coastal environments for leisure activities.