At Sottolonda Diving Center in Italy, passion for the ocean and commitment to sustainability merge seamlessly. Founded in 2010, the diving center Sottolonda all’Elba experienced a significant transformation in 2018 when Beppe and Chiara, the driving forces behind Sottolonda, decided to renovate their headquarters and embrace a more sustainable approach. “We worked on the old building and with the precious help of expert friends, year after year the new Sottolonda took shape and identity.” Read on to learn more about their journey over the past five years and how Sottolonda came to be recognized as Italy’s first PADI Eco Center.
Seeking Collaboration & Leading by Example
At Sottolonda, Beppe and Chiara understood that actions speak louder than words. As Dive Professionals, they recognized the importance of protecting the marine environment and took it upon themselves to set an example for others. To equip themselves with the necessary knowledge, they completed Project AWARE courses and applied their newfound expertise to encourage their friends and guests to follow suit. Beppe shares their motivation, stating, “We love the sea, but we are not biologists, so first of all we trained with Project AWARE courses. We encourage all our guests to do the same, and reinforce how simple actions like picking up debris during each dive can make a real difference.”
Next, the team at Sottolonda turned their attention to PADI Green Star Award, a recognition award for PADI Dive Centers and Resorts that could demonstrate environmental initiative and precursor to the PADI Eco Center accreditation. Inspired by the achievement of this recognition, Beppe and Chiara initiated various initiatives to raise awareness about the ocean and conservation potential of scuba diving within the local community, especially amongst youth. “When we filled out the criteria forms for PADI Green Star Award we realized that there was so much more that we could do as a dive business to have a positive impact on our local environment. So, we started promoting the discovery of the sea and diving in city schools from elementary to high school; in summer centers and on the beach.”
As momentum continued to build, Beppe and Chiara sought to engage further with local initiatives, “We trained as Ocean Literacy operators with Reefcheckmed’s PADI/Dan and Eco Trainer courses. In addition, we sought the collaboration of local entrepreneurs in order to help promote a sustainable lifestyle with our guests and the community: for example, we host a vegan street food van, we are a drinking water “fountain” point for holders of Refill Now water bottles, and we have an environmentally-friendly neoprene recovery project. The men at Porto Azzurro prison work on the creation of backpacks made with the wetsuits we can no longer use for diving.
Going Digital: Joining Forces with AWARE & Green Fins
Next, Sottolonda further embraced global conservation initiatives, Adopt the Blue and Green Fins, with the help of PADI. Chiara reflects on the role of PADI AWARE in helping the team contribute to global change, “The best thing about PADI AWARE is the feeling of being part of a large, active community. For example, the site we have adopted, Il Sasso che Bara, is our closest dive site and is best known by our students and guests. It is often clean, but sometimes some trash is found. The fact that we can report what is going on at our most visited dive site and this is taken into account in helping to tackle marine debris on a local and global scale is really good.”
In 2020, Chiara began to make use of Green Fins free posters and eco-briefing cards, as a means of educating guests on best environmental practices above and below the surface. “I have been following Green Fins since 2020 for the very clear iconography, the precise and direct information for our divers to understand and for our dive guides to use in briefings.” When The Reef-World Foundation then launched the Green Fins Hub in 2022, an online sustainability management tool for marine tourism operators, Sottolonda became one of Europe’s first Digital Members. “My favorite part is the Community Forum on the Green Fins Hub.” reflects Chiara, “It’s a dedicated space for eco-minded dive operators to connect with Green Fins Team and other conservation experts to share our experiences and materials we find useful, ask questions, discuss any doubts we have and collaborate on ideas for improvement.”
“Another strong point is the free course for dive guides.” explains Chiara, in reference to the Green Fins Dive Guide E-Course which provides dive guides with training on marine ecology and best practice for protecting the underwater environment while diving. “Combined with the briefing cards, the course is clear and precise and provides simple and useful notions that reinforce our team’s knowledge of what is right. Together, the materials and the course help us be more confident in delivering briefings and give us an additional level of credibility.”
Chiara reflects on hurdles faced when initially engaging with these online platforms, “One of our biggest challenges has been to digitize our skills. It has not been easy for us to work with the online management systems for AWARE and Green Fins. But, PADI has helped us and we are now at a point where we can confidently engage with the platforms and see the real benefit to our business and the ocean.”
Looking Forward: Seeking Continuous Improvement
As Sottolonda looks to the future, they remain committed to continuously improving their environmental impact. “It took five years to get here, but now, it’s become our lifestyle. We know we can always do more to continuously improve our environmental impact. We’re working on an efficient rainwater recovery system and I hope to be able to count on the installation of solar panels.”
Sottolonda Diving Center serves as an inspiring example of how passion for scuba diving, dedication to conservation, and sustainable practices can come together to act as a positive force in any local community. Through their own actions and collaborations with like-minded individuals, Sottolonda continues to make a positive impact on the marine environment while encouraging others to do the same. Chiara and Beppe share their advice to other dive operators and encourage you to join them on their journey to dive sustainably and preserve the beauty of our underwater world for generations to come. “Now in 2023, information and support on the subject of conservation and sustainability is overflowing. I would recommend getting started by using common sense and starting small.”
In order to become a PADI Eco Center, each PADI operator has joined PADI AWARE’s Adopt the Blue network and demonstrated an exemplary level of environmental performance through The Reef-World Foundation’s Green Fins initiative. To learn more about PADI Eco Center and the steps you can take at your dive business to begin or continue your sustainability journey, check out the links below.
PADI Eco Center Launches on Earth Day
Understanding PADI Eco Center: How To Demonstrate Exemplary Environmental Performance
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