What could be better than a diving holiday? Of course you take an SD card full of memories home with you, but preferably you would also come home with a tangible memory. And what is the obvious thing to take with you? Nice shells from the beach and maybe that beautiful piece of dead coral. Unfortunately, if you do, there is a very good chance that you will be stopped at customs and have to pay a hefty fine. What is the reason for that?

Coral is a protected species and therefore forbidden to export. With a dead piece of coral, customs cannot see whether it has been picked up from the beach or broken off a coral reef on purpose, which is why they are very strict about this. Some coral species grow slowly (1 cm per year) and are sometimes thousands of years old. They do not die of old age, but due to deteriorating conditions, which are unfortunately mostly caused by human activity. Corals are literally the foundation of the entire ecosystem of coral reefs, home to thousands of species of animals and the most biodiverse system on Earth. They ensure healthy fish stocks, coastal protection, conversion of CO2 into oxygen and provide millions of people with a source of food and income.

If you want to know more about coral: come to the stand (226) of CoralGardening at the Duikvaker in Houten on 2 and 3 February. CoralGardening restores and protects coral reefs in Thailand and Indonesia. A large number of team members will tell you first-hand how this works, what successes have been achieved and what we encounter at the major diving fair. Also some lectures are given about coral reefs of the future. For the children there is again the Coral Gardening workshop and the Coral Experience for the older children. This beautiful “show box” gives you a taste of how beautiful and colorful coral is under water above water. It's a beautiful scene and may well be the reason to plan your next coral reef diving experience! As you go along, learn more about coral reefs and what you can do to protect them so we can enjoy them underwater for a long time to come.” Then you immediately know why you should just leave that beautiful piece of coral on the beach during your next diving holiday.