Conservation non-profit Environment Tasmania educated the public on an iconic local species, the critically endangered Red handfish, during three family snorkeling events run in partnership with Eaglehawk Dive Centre in southeastern Tasmania.
“It was fantastic to see so many people get involved,” Red Handfish Conservation Project representative Jemina Stuart-Smith said. “These events highlight the natural values of our local marine environment and help people connect with the ocean–which are crucial steps for conservation.”
Experienced dive instructors, volunteers, and marine scientists helped community members strengthen their snorkeling skills while learning about the rocky reefs of Norfolk and Frederick Henry Bays, areas of teeming with a variety of sea life, including octopus, wrasse, baby squid, blennies, and globefish. The shallow bay where the events took place is less than a kilometer from the habitat of the Red handfish, allowing for community members to safely learn about the precariousenss of the island’s marine environment.
Environment Tasmania Senior Marine Campaigner Rebecca Howard said that the public enjoyed encountering marine life, some of which is found nowhere else on earth, at the event.
“Much of [Tasmanian sea life] is vulnerable and very little has any level of protection," Howard said. "These events bring the underwater world to the community, build confidence in the water, and hopefully inspire the marine scientists and conservationists of the future.”
Eaglehawk Dive Centre chief instructor Pauline Nuttens concurred, saying that her team relished the opportunity to participate.
The events “help locals connect with their amazing and unique marine life and give kids a chance to learn and explore,” she said. “We hope it sparks a love for the great southern ocean and a drive to protect it.”
