In 2018, the dive center Equation Dive, located on the island of Bohol in the Philippines, was awarded the trophy for eco-responsible dive center by the Longitude 181 association. Carol and Jérôme Le Roux, the founders of the center, present the actions implemented.
Photo above: © Equation Dive Bohol– Can you introduce Equation Dive and your team?Since 2013, the Equation team has brought together about fifteen passionate individuals, both Filipinos and Europeans. Equation was born from a dream, the dream of building a ‘different’ dive center, in an environment that would allow us to have the means to act with and for the people, with and for the environment.
– What concrete actions have you implemented for this?First and foremost, Equation works to raise awareness among local populations. Every month, we organize a beach cleanup to which village children and their parents are invited. These days serve as a reminder to everyone of the need to sort, recycle, and preserve beaches and nature. Gradually, the children bring us waste themselves so we can recycle what is recyclable.
We are also considering the creation of an artificial reef around Panglao with the association ‘Scaphpro’ and its president Jean-François Marailhac.– What are you doing to recycle plastic?With the association Danao Beach Community, we are starting a major ‘ecobricks’ project to recycle everyday plastic. Thanks to a technique from Indonesia, bags and food packaging are compacted and turned into furniture or, dreaming a little more, homes. The project is at the collection and learning stage, taught to a group of female workers, who also benefit from employment in this context.
We have also just created a new partnership with the association Un Océan de vie to set up school programs.
- – And how do you educate divers?
- We prohibit the use of single-use plastic: we provide bamboo straws and refillable bottles for free to replace disposable plastic. We caution against sunscreens, and we choose dive sites based on the diver’s experience. We only go in small groups. We also educate future divemasters about respecting the environment.
Find all eco-responsible dive centers at: https://guide-centres-plongee.longitude181.org/