We just received an email from one of our travelers, Mike Jarosick, who returned from a trip to Belize. Sharing our sentiments for responsible travel he wanted to share with fellow Adventure Lifers information he learned regarding the effects sunscreen has on coral-bleaching. This subject is particularly relevant to Belize, which is home to the largest coral reef in the Western Hemisphere. I love that Mike has returned home now an ambassador for the environment he had the chance to connect with during his Belize tour. Hats off to you, Mike! It's clear you know how to travel-well.
Sunscreen and Coral Reef Bleaching
A very telling study came out in 2008 by Roberto Danovaro and his colleagues at the Marche Polytechnic University in Ancona, Italy on the impact of sunscreen on the health of coral reefs. Their findings included that between 4000-6000 metric tons of sunscreen washes off swimmers and snorkelers into coral reef environments -- annually. A stunning figure. And that four very common ingredients found in most sunscreens cause complete coral bleaching, even at very low concentrations. As a result, 10% of the world's coral reefs may be endangered by sunscreen-induced bleaching.
The main culprits? These four common sunscreen ingredients:
The truth is it only takes about 20 minutes for a quarter of the sunscreen we lather on to protect our skin to wash off -- waterproof or not. To better protect our skin, AND our environment, covering up in wide brim hats and wearing a swim-shirt or wetsuit are simple options that don't wash off. Or use eco-friendly chemical sunscreens. A quick Internet search will lead you to a number of brands offering reef-safe options. I'm a personal fan of the brand Badger Balm.
Adventure Life has been an extraordinary travel resource for us over the years and today was no exception. Our River Cruise booking was handled by Jess (who has been our personal trip planner for several years) the same day as our inquiry. Suggestions were given for cabin choice and pre-trip options (that were not shown on the cruise line's website) like airport transfers and prepaid gratuities. Trip insurance recommendations followed and we were assigned a travel co-ordinator till the end of the tour. All we have to do is show up! Great service from friendly folks.
APtravelwell
1 day ago
My representative Kevin was very responsive generally and in crafting our itinerary to our specific priorities.
Rocco Labella
1 day ago
Although there was a lot of paper work, I received help and guidance when I needed it.
Donna Kirby
2 days ago
Our travel was flawless! The rider pickup (airport, hotel, ship) was seamless. Jane's recommendation for Emerald Cruise Sakara was everything I wanted but the experience was soooo much more. Adventure Life took care of each and every detail and this was the easiest of all my travels.
Anne Petty
3 days ago
Follow up was effective any questions were answered in a timely manner