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We know how fragile is the scuba industry, we depend on the elements, the weather.. the visibility… but not it seems we also have to be aware of .. oil !
And this is a very serious concern for all the dive centers in Florida and diving operators worried about the health of the dive sites in the area. But so far things seem just fine.
Florida officials and tourism industry executives are juggling two missions, working to protect the shore from oil spreading from the April 20 spill in the Gulf of Mexico while assuring tourists that the state’s 825 miles (1,327 kilometers) of beaches remained safe so far. Hotels relaxed cancellation policies for wary guests while updating photos on websites to show beaches that remained pristine.
“I’ve talked to hoteliers and it’s not so much that there are cancellations — it’s the reservations line,” Grover Robinson, chairman of the Escambia County Commission, said today at a press briefing. “The phone just isn’t ringing.”
In addition to being Florida’s No 1 industry, tourism accounts for 21 per cent of the state’s sales tax revenue. Snorkelling is a $239 million industry here. Scuba diving is worth $45 million and recreational saltwater fishing $5 billion.
So if you are planning to dive in Florida: Just do it… there is no oil in the water… so dive in and support the operators.
