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Published: Thursday, 13 December 2018 13:04
Over 25 million divers are certified around the world with over 1 million new dive certifications issued annually by PADI. A United Nations study has predicted that tourism in the world is expected to grow to over 1.8 billion tourists by 2030, and diving is no exception to the rule.
In South Africa, marine tourism and specifically diving is a growing industry amongst the nearly 17 million annual tourists. This number is set to grow, considering South Africa has over 3,000 kilometres of pristine oceanfront to spoil tourists. This growth in human activity through is not without its problems. Whales, dolphins, and sea turtles are some of the most harmed by human activity and the goal of divers everywhere should be to help protect these animals through sustainable diving. The rapid 3% annual growth of the diving industry presents an economic opportunity for South Africa but also presents environmental risks to the planet.