Green Fins, 1-3 Gloucester Road, Orlando, FL (2026)

10/17/2026

Today marks another year of a global community working towards the same goal: making sustainable diving the norm, not the exception.

Since 2004, over 700 marine tourism operators have joined as Green Fins Certified Members, adopting the Code of Conduct and improving their compliance year on year. And this year, that progress is more measurable than ever. Without giving too much away ahead of our full annual impact report (coming soon!), here’s a quick look at what the Green Fins community achieved in 2025–2026:

- Operators reduced their overall environmental impact by an average of 19% between 2024 and 2026, with first-year members showing an average reduction of 30%
- The number of members reaching Certified Gold status doubled
- Over 700 cleanups were conducted by Green Fins Members in the last year alone
- 93% of operators are now contributing to habitat monitoring activities
- 85% are delivering complete environmental briefings on every dive, for every diver

Add to that the growing network of Digital Members around the world, the governments and NGOs supporting implementation at a local level, the partners amplifying this work globally, and the thousands of divers and snorkellers choosing responsible operators. What started as a programme has become a movement.

To our members: thank you for putting the standards into practice every single day. You're the reason this works! The reefs we protect today are the ones future generations will dive, snorkel, and depend on. That's worth celebrating.

Celebrating Green Fins Day at your operation? Share what you're doing on social media and tag us, or post it in the Community Forum. We'd love to amplify your efforts and see how our community marks the day around the world.

The full impact report is coming soon. For now, here's to the next year of collective action!

Photo by Olivia Grubenmann

10/15/2026

We're back with our Green Fins Icons series: practical tips to help divers, snorkellers, and marine tourism operators protect coral reefs. Today's tip is less about what you do in the water, and more about what you do when you see something that shouldn't be happening.

💡 Tip 14: Report environmental violations.
Marine protected areas, fishing regulations, and conservation laws only work when they're enforced. And enforcement often starts with someone – a diver, a snorkeller, an operator, a tourist – being willing to say something.

🚨 Authorities can't be everywhere. Marine parks and protected areas are often vast, understaffed, and under-resourced. Rangers, enforcement officers, and conservation teams rely on reports from the people actually in the water to know what's happening on the ground.

🚨 Patterns matter. One report of destructive fishing, anchoring on a reef, or illegal shark finning might not change anything on its own. But multiple reports from the same area over time build the case for stronger protection, more enforcement, or new regulations.

🚨 Awareness drives change. Even reports that don't result in immediate action contribute to the broader body of evidence used by NGOs, researchers, and policymakers. Your observation today might inform a protected area designation tomorrow.

🚨 Silence protects bad actors. When destructive practices go unreported, they continue. When they're documented and raised with the right people, there's at least a chance of accountability.

➡️ What can you do?
✅ Know what to look for. Destructive fishing (dynamite, cyanide, illegal- or overfishing in protected areas), anchoring on coral, feeding or harassing marine life, buying or selling protected species, pollution, and illegal construction all qualify.

✅ Report to the right people. Tell your dive guide or operator first, they often know the local reporting channels. Contact marine park authorities, community leaders, or relevant government agencies. In some areas, dedicated NGOs or hotlines handle reports.

✅ Document when you can. Photos, video, GPS coordinates, dates, and times make reports far more actionable.

✅ Stay safe. Never confront offenders directly. Report quietly and let the authorities handle it.

10/13/2026

The term "reef-safe" isn't regulated anywhere in the world. Any sunscreen brand can slap it on their packaging regardless of what's actually inside. Which means the only way to know if your sunscreen is genuinely reef-safe is to read the ingredients list yourself. Luckily, it's not complicated once you know what to look for.

Start with the active ingredients. The safest options are non-nano zinc oxide and non-nano titanium dioxide, ideally as the only active ingredients. The "non-nano" bit matters because nanoparticles (smaller than 100 nanometres) are more easily absorbed by marine life and can be toxic in high concentrations. Non-nano particles sit on top of your skin and wash off without the same risks. If the label doesn't specify, assume it's nano.

Next, check what's not there. Oxybenzone and octinoxate are the most well-documented causes of coral bleaching, and some countries have already banned them. But recent research has added more ingredients to the watchlist: octocrylene, homosalate, octisalate, avobenzone, parabens, and nanoparticles of any kind. If any of these appear in your sunscreen, put it back.

A few other red flags worth knowing: spray sunscreens often contain nanoparticles that aerosolise into the air and water, so stick to creams and lotions you apply by hand. And remember that sunscreen used on land eventually ends up in the ocean too, through showers, laundry, and wastewater, so these choices matter even when you're nowhere near a reef.

The best reef-safe strategy isn't a better sunscreen though, it's using less of it. Rash guards, wetsuits, UV-protective clothing, and hats offer sun protection that doesn't wash off into the ocean. Save your sunscreen for the parts you can't cover.

Save this post for your next shopping trip, or download our free sunscreen infographics on our website.

10/09/2026

Meet Green Divers Barbados: the newest dive centre in Barbados, the first women-owned and operated centre on the south coast, and the first PADI Eco Center on the island. They opened their doors in February 2026 and haven't slowed down since.

Aside from everything they've accomplished, they're also honest about the challenges. Sourcing environmentally responsible products on a small island isn't easy, and eco-friendly alternatives aren't always the most affordable. Changing habits – divers leaving gloves and poking sticks behind, engaging with buoyancy practice, thinking differently about their impact – takes patience and constant education. But they've found people are much more willing to embrace sustainable practices when they understand the difference those actions make.

And they're not stopping there. Green Divers are developing an Ocean Access Program to remove financial barriers for young people in the local community. Students will earn their place through beach cleanups and citizen science participation, then progress through swimming lessons, scuba certifications, and marine biology internships. Their reasoning is simple: if children can't see what's underwater, they often don't value it. This programme is designed to change that, and inspire the next generation of ocean advocates in Barbados.

Their advice to other operators considering Green Fins? "It is the most beautiful community of divers who share common goals and beliefs regarding conservation and are eager to share their knowledge with you. The community forum has helped us solve problems, implement new initiatives, and provide a sounding board for new ideas."

Inspired by Green Divers Barbados? Visit greenfins.net to become a Green Fins Member.

10/07/2026

Mark your calendars for October 17 - Green Fins Day is almost here, and we'd love to see you in on the action!

This year’s theme is “One Action for Our Waters,” and the beauty of it is that anyone can participate, no matter where you dive or swim. Whether you’re plunging into cold ocean currents, exploring local lakes, diving in quarries, diving in tropical coral reefs or taking action right from your desk - this is about our collective power.

You don’t need a massive budget or a month of planning. Just pick one concrete action that fits your local spot or community, and let’s show the world what we can do together!

Need ideas? Pick your action:

🌊 In the water: Freshwater or coastal cleanups, reef surveys, or ghost net reporting.
🏝️ On land: Youth workshops, gear swap-and-repairs, or local awareness drives.
💻 Online: Digital campaigns, hosting a virtual eco-talk, or sharing sustainable diving tips.

How to join & spread the word:
➡️ Plan your action for October 17 (or the surrounding weekend).

➡️ Grab our plug-and-play promo templates in the Community Forum to post on your socials! We’ve created ready-to-use graphics to make sharing effortless.

➡️ Share your journey! Use the hashtags and .

Don’t forget to tag Green Fins and The Reef-World Foundation on Instagram and Facebook so we can re-share your events and tally up our global impact!

Every ocean action adds up to a massive splash. What’s your going to be? Drop them in the comments or in the Community Forum!

10/05/2026

We're continuing our Green Fins Icons series: practical tips to help divers, snorkellers, and marine tourism operators protect coral reefs. A few tips ago, we covered why anchoring on coral reefs causes serious damage. Today, we're focusing on the solution.

💡 tip 13: Use mooring buoys.
Mooring buoys are one of the simplest, most effective tools for preventing reef damage from dive and snorkel boats. They're not new, and they're not complicated. But they're not used consistently everywhere they should be. Here's why they matter:

🛟 They eliminate anchor damage entirely. Mooring buoys are permanently secured to the seabed in stable substrate (usually sand or dead rock), giving boats a fixed attachment point that never touches the reef.

🛟 They protect reefs at scale. A single mooring buoy can service hundreds of boats a year with zero additional reef damage.

🛟 They set an example. When one dive operator uses mooring buoys, others notice. Collective action raises awareness among boat captains, local authorities, and other tourism businesses.

🛟 They support long-term site health. Reefs that aren't repeatedly hit by anchors and chains are healthier, more diverse, and more attractive to divers.

➡️ What can you do?
✅ For dive operators: Use existing mooring buoys wherever they're available. In some locations, it's against the law for operators to install or fix broken moorings. Where restrictions apply, we encourage operators to work with local authorities and support or advocate for mooring installations. This is also why Green Fins is rooted in government engagement: the sometimes silent work of using Green Fins data to inform decisions that strengthen local infrastructure.

✅ For divers: Ask your operator whether they use mooring buoys or anchor. Choose operators who prioritise reef-safe boat practices.

✅ For everyone: Support the marine parks, NGOs, and community initiatives that install and maintain mooring systems. This work is often underfunded but essential.

10/04/2026

We have recently welcomed some new Community Ambassadors, and we're thrilled to introduce them to you!

Starting with Ekaterina Zlotnikova from St. Petersburg, Russia. Ekaterina is an Instructor and Chief of Marketing at PADI 5* ECO Dive Center White Seal, working in one of the world's most challenging cold-water diving destinations. She holds an MSc in Biology and Environmental Science, and brings over 15 years of experience in teaching and scientific research to her conservation work.

Ekaterina's diving journey started only in 2021 – but in five years, she's become a PADI Master Instructor and Mermaid Instructor, earning Elite Instructor Awards in both 2024 and 2025. From her first dives, she knew this was the direction her life needed to take.

Beyond dive courses, she runs community events, cleanups, and school lessons – all built around the idea that meaningful conservation starts with small, everyday actions accessible to anyone. She's also an underwater photographer and videographer on a mission to make responsible imaging the industry standard. Her Distinctive PADI Specialty, Conservation Content Creator, teaches divers how to turn their dive trip footage into content that actually drives conservation impact.

Ekaterina believes that responsible tourism and diving can absolutely go hand in hand with fun and comfort. We couldn't agree more! Welcome to the Community Ambassadors team, Ekaterina. We're thrilled to have you.

10/02/2026

Coral restoration is one of the most talked-about topics in reef conservation. It’s visible, hands-on, and easy to rally people around. But Green Fins Member MCP recently published a blog post offering a different perspective, and we thought it was worth sharing. Not because we’re taking a stance against coral restoration, but because it’s a thoughtful piece that raises questions this industry doesn’t always ask.

Their argument, in short: if corals died in a location, the most important question isn’t “how do we plant more corals?”, it’s “why did the original corals die?” If the stressors that caused the decline haven’t been addressed, newly planted corals often face the same fate. MCP argues that passive restoration measures – reducing sedimentation, improving wastewater management, protecting mangroves, regulating fishing pressure, enforcing marine protected areas – tend to be less photogenic but more effective at scale. Where the stressor is obvious and has been removed — like dynamite fishing — active restoration has shown successful results.

We know this perspective won’t sit comfortably with everyone. Coral restoration projects across the world are run by people who genuinely care and are doing important work. But we also think open, evidence-based conversations about what works, what doesn’t, and where our efforts have the biggest impact are exactly what make our community stronger.

This is the kind of thoughtful, science-driven exchange that happens in the Green Fins Community Forum all the time. Members raising questions, sharing research, learning from each other’s field experience. It’s one of the most valuable parts of being part of this network.

Read MCP’s full blog post at marineconservationphilippines.org

09/30/2026

A huge thank you to Green Fins Member Gozo Azul Diving in Mozambique, who recently hosted a marine quiz and donated all entry fees to The Reef-World Foundation!

Events like this matter more than you may think. The Reef-World Foundation is a small charity, and the Green Fins programme relies on a mix of grants, membership fees, and independent funding to keep running. When Members take the initiative to organise their own fundraisers, it directly supports the work that makes Green Fins possible, and inspires others to do the same.

If you’ve been wondering how you can support Green Fins and Reef-World, here are a few ways:
Dive or snorkel operators can become Green Fins Members and improve their environmental performance whilst supporting the programme
Divers can take the Green Fins Diver e-Course to learn how to dive with minimal impact
Donations help Reef-World continue their work independently of external grant funding
Hosting your own event (a quiz night, cleanup dive, or fundraiser) is a brilliant way to raise both awareness and funds
And even just following, sharing, and engaging with our content helps spread the message!

However you choose to support us, it matters. Thank you to everyone already doing so! Learn more about supporting Reef-World at reef-world.org

09/26/2026

Over on The Reef-World Foundation today, we're talking about the bigger picture: that tourism is never neutral, and every trip either contributes to the protection of a place or its decline. Go give it a read!

In this post, we're getting practical. Because "travel responsibly" doesn't mean much without knowing what that actually looks like on the ground. So here's a checklist you can save or share ahead of your next dive trip.

None of these tips are radical, and none require sacrificing your holiday. But together, they add up to a trip that supports the places you're visiting instead of quietly chipping away at them. The most important one is probably where you book. Your dive operator sets the tone for the entire trip; how briefings are delivered, whether mooring buoys are used, how waste is handled, how guides interact with marine life. Choose well, and a lot of the other choices become easier because they're already built into the experience.

Find a Green Fins Member near your next dive destination at greenfins.net

Photo credit
3 Phoenix Divers Koh Lanta
6 A Cotton Photo
9 TRACC

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