“Finding Nemo” resulted in many more anemone fish being collected.
It might be a difficult project to set up. Green Island and Orchid Island offer some potential for scuba diving tourism (and underwater photographers). The idea requires the feeding of fish and their protection from being caught or speared.
A live fish, photographed dozens or even hundreds of times by different visitors. The value is easy to see and far exceeds the money earned from a single dead fish.
These pictures, the same scuba dive on the same roll of film. The place is a remote part of the Great Barrier Reef. It;s expensive to get there. Charter boats earn a good living taking groups of divers on 5-day trips.
The people who could benefit best from diving tourism are boat owners and hotels.
Maori wrasse, protected in many countries under CITES
Potato cod – one of several. This one has what appears to be an old wound from a spear.
Painted sweetlip
Large cod in this cave.
Note: These pictures are from 1991 and the place has changed considerably. Although still a popular destination “The Cod Hole” is only a fraction as good today. People in their ignorance change things despite their good intentions and the help of marine park regulations. Perhaps the best form of underwater tourism (especially for Orchid Island) lies with drifting on the surface in offshore blue water currents with pelagic species like whales, marlin, and some sharks?
The positives and negative lessons are available to be learned from Australia.
