At Barefoot Scuba we are dedicated to the conservation of the beautiful, fragile environs of the Andaman Islands. In addition to the varied work conducted by the Barefoot Group through its Environmental Education and Resource Center at Havelock, Barefoot Scuba also takes a few small but meaningful additional steps to further the sustainability aims of Barefoot Resorts.

Barefoot Scuba works in conjunction with the local schools, to help create awareness amongst the children regarding the fragility of the ocean environment and the connection between actions at a human level and the results on a larger ecological scale.

During every school term of three months, the staff of Barefoot Scuba approach the children of the 8th, 9th and 10th standards with an environmental concern that needs to be addressed. The children are given the duration of the term to develop an idea to counter this concern and write a short report on it. One report from every class is selected for its feasibility, maximum positive impact and maximum involvement of the local people. The authors of these reports are rewarded with the opportunity to explore the splendour of the sea through the Discover Snorkeling and Discover Scuba Diving programs.

The reports implement programs run by the Barefoot Seacology Environmental Education Centre (Beach No.1), involving the local community. In this manner, awareness is spread through the community and positive action is taken based on ideas developed by the locals themselves.

Barefoot Scuba also employs two women with the explicit duty of collecting non-biodegradable materials that litter the shoreline along Beach No.3. The employees are paid for every bag of material they collect. In this manner we succeed in keeping the beaches clean, preventing damaging materials from entering the ocean habitats and providing a small secondary source of income to these people.

As the Andamans increases in popularity, the number of tourists visiting the island is on the rise. We urge you to travel sensitively, and assist in our conservation efforts by abiding by some simple guidelines.

Environmental Consciousness on the islands: Water is a limited resource on the islands. Conserve water as much as possible. Solid waste and its disposal is an increasing problem on Havelock. Wherever possible, avoid the use of plastics and disposables. Reuse plastic bags and bottles, and dispose of them appropriately. When camping, trekking or visiting uninhabited areas of the islands, please bring your trash back with you for proper disposal. Do not indulge in consumption that leads to harmful and unsustainable activities like shark-finning, shell and coral collection, etc. Insist that your tour and resort operators follow sensitive practices, and do not support those that don’t.

Environmental Consciousness on the water: Please do not dispose of non-biodegradable trash in the ocean. Plastics cause severe damage and death to all forms of marine life, with repercussions beyond what is obvious to us. On boating excursions please bring your trash back with you for proper disposal. While exploring the underwater world please refrain from touching, teasing or catching marine life. This is harmful to them and potentially dangerous to you. Do not touch or break coral. Insist that your tour and resort operators follow sensitive practices and do not support those that don't.