17/07/2026
Please don't feed the fish on snorkel or scuba tours. This explains why..
👉They become reliant
👉Can become aggressive, expecting food
👉Affects algae growth on coral
👉They abandon their nests
👉Makes them sick
So far in our Green Fins Icons series, we've covered Tip 1 (don't touch, kick, kneel, lie or step on coral), Tip 2 (don't stir the sediment), and Tip 3 (don't touch or chase marine life). If you missed them, scroll back through our feed to catch up!
Today, we're tackling a practice that's still surprisingly common on dive and snorkel trips: feeding fish.
💡 Tip 4: Don't feed the fish.
It might seem harmless – even fun – to hand-feed a fish or watch a dive guide throw bread into the water to attract marine life for photos. But fish feeding causes serious, long-term damage to reef ecosystems.
Here's what happens when fish are fed:
🚫 They become dependent. When fish rely on handouts, they stop foraging naturally. Their diet becomes nutritionally imbalanced, and they lose the ability to survive without human interaction.
🚫 They become aggressive. Fed fish learn to associate divers with food. Over time, they may become pushy, competitive, or even bite divers, expecting a meal.
🚫 Coral suffers. Many reef fish are herbivores that graze on algae. When they stop performing this role, algae grows unchecked and can smother coral, blocking sunlight and preventing recovery.
🚫 Nests are abandoned. Fed fish are more likely to leave their nests unprotected, exposing eggs and juveniles to predators. This affects entire population dynamics on the reef.
🚫 Fish get sick. Bread, rice, and other non-natural foods aren't part of a fish's natural diet. They can cause digestive issues, malnutrition, and disease.
➡️ What can you do?
✅ For divers and snorkellers:
- Never feed marine life, no matter how tempting it is to interact.
- Ask your dive operator about their policies. If they feed fish for photo opportunities, choose someone else.
✅ For dive operators:
Include no-feeding reminders in every briefing and refuse guest requests for feeding activities.
The best encounters happen when marine life behaves naturally. Find a Green Fins Member at greenfins.net
