Watercolours Interviewed by DYK Diving Magazine


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Inteview with Peter Caron

1. Tell me about your background. What got you interested in diving, coral reefs etc. What got you were you are now (dive centre owner at Perhentian)
(This is for the facts section of the interview).

In 1995 I quit my dead-end job and travelled Thailand and Australia. I thought this was the best way to find out what to do with my life. Someone told me I should take a diving course and I decided to give it a go. Koh Tao was a lot quieter back then and I loved the experience so much it was all I could talk about. I asked for a job in the dive centre in return for free diving and I guess things just escalated. When I returned to the UK I studied marine science and this led to various work as an environmental consultant specialising in marine and intertidal environments. Things changed in 2004 when I met Anke on a diving holiday to the Similans. She was already running Watercolours Dive Centre, which she started on the Perhentian Islands back in 1996. We married last year in Thailand and had our honeymoon on Jonathan Cruiser, the boat we met on. We now run Watercolours together.

The rest of the questions will be the actual interview. The things I wrote within the brackets will not be in the article

2. Which type of threats to the reefs do you consider to be the most alarming, (both globally and locally at Perhentian)

That is a difficult question as it is the culminated impact that must be highlighted. On the Perhentians we have suffered little bleaching, although Anke tells me we lost a lot of soft corals back in 1998. I worry a lot about waste water nutrients leaching into our local marine environment; tourism is on the increase here and I suspect some septic tank systems are already struggling. The result is a shift to algal dominance, which is already apparent on a couple of reefs. We are lucky to have little in the way of destructive fishing, which I have unfortunately witnessed in other parts of the world. I think it is tragic that so much work can be done to save a reef from dynamite fishermen, only to see it smothered in sediment resulting from deforestation many miles in-land. For coral reef conservation we have to consider all threats specific to reefs, especially global warming, land run-off and disease.

3. What do you think must be done for the coral reefs to survive (both on land and in the water)

I think it is only when the economic effects of mass coral mortality are really felt that people will really spring into action. Luckily, coral reefs are worth a fortune because of tourism revenue and their relation to fisheries. I believe we will lose a lot more in the next few years but many more people are shouting loudly, for example organisations such as Reef Check (www.reefcheck.org). Politicians are beginning to take note. We are now surveying our coral reefs to document change and alert anyone who will listen. Many reefs are unfortunately declining and no-one is actually realising.

4. Tell me about Reeftalk (What it is, why your doing it, for who, when did you get the idea and other relevant information)

Anke and I were discussing how popular the detailed dive de-briefings are here at Watercolours. Divers want more information these days and a presentation seemed like the logical next step. It was only when I started really thinking about it that I decided to include conservation issues and make the presentation free-of-charge to anyone who is interested. The idea is to make people aware of what is happening and hopefully do something about it. I already had the basic knowledge and I am lucky enough to have access to some decent scientific literature to get the hard facts. The idea is to give information to anyone who will listen, not just our diving customers. I’ve had local students from the mainland request my talk and they were so upset that their reefs are under threat. I will be presenting to the local University Hospital next month, and tomorrow a local charity group are arriving on the island to hear the talk and to donate money to help us survey one of our reefs.

5. How do you think that “normal” people can contribute to the survival of the coral reefs?

As divers we must do our bit, no matter how small it might be. I have already seen what can happen when just a few people get motivated. You would be surprised what effect you can have if you just try. Make your concerns heard! Write a letter to a politician telling them of your worries about carbon emissions and global warming. If you see a dive centre behave irresponsibly then tell them to stop. Write to the local Ministry of Tourism if you are on holiday and see corals in poor health. Photocopy the letter and send it to the Ministry of Fisheries if you do not believe a marine park is being managed properly. You can all the information you need of the internet these days so it really is very easy. Remember, as tourists you are all walking dollars – and people really listen when money is involved.

If anyone needs information for letter writing can contact me through our website. We have already lost 20% of the world’s reefs so let’s get motivated! As divers, there is really no excuse for not getting involved.

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