I know I'm always telling you about the amazing marine wildlife, and I bet you're curious to see it all for yourselves! And that's fin-tastic! Because the more you see and learn, the more you'll fall in love with our incredible ocean.

BUT please, please be careful! Because without even meaning to, you could accidentally harm some animal, plant, or even the precious seabed. Now, there are a set of rules to help us be good visitors, and I know it might sound a little complicated or even a bit frustrating, but trust me, it's not! It all starts with two very important words: Respect and Empathy.

What does "respect" mean? Well, it means treating someone or something with kindness and care. Think about how you like to be treated – you want people to be kind and considerate of your feelings and your space, right?

And what about empathy? Empathy is like putting yourself in someone else's shoes, or we could say fins! Imagine a sea turtle trying to lay her eggs on a busy beach – she might feel scared and stressed by lots of noise and people. Empathy helps us think about how our actions might make them feel, even if they can't tell us in words.

So, when we're lucky enough to observe marine wildlife, whether it's from the shore, on a boat, or with a drone, we need to keep a safe distance, be quiet, and think about how our actions might make the animals feel.

Remember, there are also strict rules to protect these amazing creatures. It's against the law to chase, injure, capture, or collect many marine species. This means any action that could injure a marine creature or disrupt their natural behaviours like migrating, breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or finding shelter. This includes trying to feed them!   

Look, Don't Touch (and Definitely Don't Chase!)

Think of it like visiting a friend's house – you wouldn't barge in and start touching their things, right? It's the same with marine animals. They have their own routines: feeding, resting, playing, and raising their young. Getting too close can really mess things up for them.

Share this with your friend and gown-ups.

Keep Your Distance:

Stay at least 100 meters away from whales and at least 50 meters away from dolphins, porpoises, seals, and sea lions. Our actions, even if we mean well, can have surprising and harmful consequences:

• Families Get Separated: Imagine a baby animal getting scared and losing its mum. That's a big problem for survival.
• Travel Plans Ruined: Some animals travel long distances to feed or breed. If we disturb them, we can throw off their entire journey.   
• Friend Groups Fall Apart: Just like us, some marine animals live in groups. Our interference can stress them out and disrupt their social lives.
• Nap Time Interruptions: Seals and sea turtles need to rest on land or near the surface to save energy. If we scare them, they waste precious energy and can get stressed.   
• Baby Boom Disruption: Disturbing animals during breeding season can stop them from having babies or caring for their young properly.

Spotting the Disturbance Signs:

Marine animals will often let you know if you're too close or bothering them. It's like they're waving a little "Keep Away!" flag. Here are some things to watch out for:

For Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises:

• Suddenly swimming faster or changing direction quickly.
• Staying underwater for a very long time.
• A mum trying to hide her baby with her body.
• Slapping their tails loudly on the water or swishing them from side to side.

For Seals and Sea Lions:

• Moving away from you quickly or rushing into the water at once.
• Making more noise than usual or acting aggressively.
• Lots of them lifting their heads to look at you at the same time.
• A mum leaving her baby alone.

For Sea Turtles:

• A turtle trying to lay eggs, suddenly stopping and going back to the sea.
• A turtle resting on the beach quickly going back into the water or not being able to get onto the beach to rest.
• Baby turtles (hatchlings) moving towards lights or other distractions instead of the sea.
• Suddenly swimming faster or changing direction quickly.
• Not being able to eat because swimmers or snorkellers are constantly bothering them.

Our Furry Pets Need Space Too!

Keep your pets away from marine mammals. It's for everyone's safety! Dogs can scare or even bite marine species, spreading diseases. Adult seals, for example, can get aggressive if they feel threatened. It's best to keep your furry pals on a leash, when other animal are around.   

Boating Basics for Wildlife Watching:

If you're watching from a boat, remember these important rules:

• Limit your viewing time to 30 minutes or less.
• Don't chase, surround, or try to cut off animals with your boat.
• If another boat is already watching, give them space. Too many boats can really stress the animals.
• Avoid speeding near marine animals. When you see them, slow down.
• Never drive your boat between a mum and her baby.
• Be careful of whales that might jump out of the water (breaching) or slap their tails – they could accidentally hit your boat.
• Stay away from light green bubbly patches – that means a humpback whale may come up to feed.  
• If you need to move around marine animals, do it slowly from the side or behind. Never drive straight towards them.
• Don't try to make animals ride the waves your boat creates.
• If you see any signs of disturbance, slowly and carefully move away.

Turtle Watching:

When you're lucky enough to see a sea turtle:

• Stay at least 50 meters away.
• Never feed them!
• Be slow and steady with your boat – no sudden movements.
• Don't chase or surround them.
• If you see one, slow down to a very slow speed and let it pass.

If you see a sea turtle on a beach trying to lay eggs:

• Keep Your Distance!
• No Bright Lights! Avoid shining torches or phone lights at them.
• Leave No Trace! Take everything you brought to the beach with you, knock down sandcastles, and fill in any holes.
• No Beach Driving! Cars and other vehicles can disturb nesting turtles and damage their nests.   

Seals and Sea Lions on Shore:

If you see seals or sea lions resting on land:

• Keep your voice down, stay hidden if you can, and stay at least 50 metres away so they can't smell you easily.
• Baby Seals Aren't lost! Mum seals often leave their pups alone to feed for up to 24 hours. They are not abandoned, so please don't go near them.
• Don't offer wild animals any food or throw fish on the beach. It's illegal to feed marine mammals.
• Don't touch or try to swim with them.
• Getting close for a "selfie" is against the law.
• 

Eyes in the Sky - Drones and Aircraft:

Even from above, we need to be careful, noise can really stress animals out.:

• Don't fly low, hover, land, take off near animals.
• Avoid flying drones too close to marine animals.

By following these simple rules, we can all enjoy the incredible marine wildlife of the ocean while ensuring these animals stay safe and.

The best way to help these incredible creatures is to share this knowledge with everyone you know! Tell your parents, your friends, and your teachers all about the importance of giving marine animals their space and being kind to their ocean home. Read this article together and chat about why these rules are so important. The more people who understand, the better it will be for the animals!

Fin-tastic Activities to Become Ocean Guardians! Share it with us if you want.

Create a "Marine Wildlife Helper" Poster: Design a colourful poster with the key rules for observing marine life. You can draw pictures of the animals and the right way to watch them. Hang it up at home or at school to remind everyone!

"Empathy for the Ocean" Story: Write a short story or draw a comic about a marine animal and how human actions (both good and bad) can affect it. This will help you think about things from their perspective.

"Plastic-Free" Challenge: For a week, try to reduce your use of plastic as much as possible. Keep a count of how many single-use plastic items you avoid. Make a competition with your classmates.

Research a Local Marine Animal: Pick a specific marine animal that lives in the waters near you, or if you are far from the sea any animal that live in freshwaters, or just one you really like. Find out more about its life, its challenges, and how we can help protect it. Share your findings with your class or family!

By learning, sharing, and taking action, you can all make a big difference in protecting marine life.