For Scott and Melissa Flaherty, owners of Seattle Dive Tours in Washington, USA, the journey to becoming a PADI Eco Center began in 2018. Since then, they have grown the business significantly by placing responsible social and environmental practices at the core of their business plan. “We knew we wanted, as a business, to give back and loved the eco-focused operations we had gone diving with around the world.” Melissa explains, “When we assumed ownership of Seattle Dive Tours, we knew we wanted to create a dive shop that focused, from the beginning, on quality service, inclusivity and the environment.” 

Building a Strong Team & Professional Network 

“We knew that building a strong team and emulating all the best team practices and culture that we’d experienced across our previous careers would be critical to our success” reflects Scott. With the help of marine biologist and manager, Maddi Frye, they immediately initiated a team culture based around marine science, ecological focus and inclusivity. Since then, they have continued to add additional conservation and service oriented personnel. Melissa explains “Our team is predominantly female and most have marine or environmental science degrees.”

The following year, the team began participating in and organizing PADI Women’s Dive Day events and underwater cleanups. Since 2019, Seattle Dive Tours has hosted large scale annual underwater clean up events and AWARE Week celebrations. In addition, they turned their attention to PADI AWARE Courses and how they could better inform their divers about conservation issues all year round. Scott reports “We read an article on The Fifth Point Diving Centre in the UK and were inspired by how they include complimentary PADI AWARE Specialty Courses in all Open Water and Advanced Open Water Courses. We decided to do the same.” 

“We incorporated ideas we had picked up from conversation with other dive professionals at dive conferences, Green Fins and PADI AWARE” reflects Scott. “Learn from everywhere, don’t just think about the dive shop down the street, great ideas are worldwide and across multiple industries. The Green Fins Community Hub has become a fantastic and accessible center point for the sharing of different environmental ideas, initiatives and solutions that we previously only heard about in person, at a dive conference or read in a dive magazine.”  

Engaging with External Initiatives

In 2020, Seattle Dive Tours set their sights on the PADI Green Star Award. Reviewing the operational sustainability of the business and implementing changes in line with the recommended best practice principles, the business soon earned global recognition as an environmentally dedicated dive operator. Areas of action included energy efficiency, water consumption, proper waste disposal and single use plastics, to name a few. 

The same year saw the team fully engage with the potential of dive tourism to be a powerful force for good. Melissa describes their involvement with 1% for the Planet. “In 2020, Seattle Dive Tours joined as a 1% for the Planet Business Member. Each year, 1% for the Planet certifies Business Members who donate 1% or more of their top-line revenue to ecological non-profits. Each year, we poll our customers to select the 5 non-profits that we donate to.”

When the Green Fins Hub launched in 2022, Seattle Dive Tours immediately joined. Scott recounts “As an early Green Fins digital member, we built on our previous work from Green Star and formulated an action plan that helped us identify further opportunities to become more sustainable wherever possible”.

Seattle Dive Tours has also recently partnered with local clean water advocate organization, Puget Soundkeeper, with Instructor Shannon McIntyre joining the Puget Soundkeeper board. Scott joined the executive board of local non-profit Washington Scuba Alliance.  

Creating PADI Distinctive Specialties

The first PADI Distinctive Specialty that Seattle Dive Tours created is called Salish Sea Diver. Scott explains “Salish Sea Diver educates divers about the Salish Sea and how we can best protect it. The specialty utilizes books from SeaDoc Society as an outline, donates money to the SeaDoc Society and the students receive the Salish Sea book as part of the course. Students also receive a Salish Sea Marine Life dive slate with artwork by Seattle Dive Tours Instructor Madison Churchill.”

Next, Seattle Dive Tours created the PADI Distinctive Marine Mammal Rehabilitation Specialty highlighting the efforts of local partners, SR3. “With this course, students learn about local wildlife, how SR3 rehabilitates them and how divers can assist. Again, with each course, Seattle Dive Tours donates money to SR3 and students receive a Salish Sea Marine Mammal dive slate with artwork drawn by Seattle Dive Tours Instructor Madison”.

Eco-Conscious Dive Travel

In 2022, Seattle Dive Tours resumed group travel and incorporated site specific training. “On our trip to Kona we included a Nudibranchs of Hawaii Specialty with Kona Diving Company instructor Lindsay Price-Friend. Our Bahamas trip included a Caribbean-centric Underwater Naturalist course with Maddi and a special Guided Book Tour of Ernest Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea by Seattle Dive Tours Instructor and Doctorate of English Literature Kelly Bushnell”. During their 2023 Bonaire trip, the Seattle Dive Tours group was enthralled with the Reef Renewal Specialty with Buddy Dive.  

Securing a PADI AWARE Foundation Grant

PADI AWARE awarded a community grant to Seattle Dive Tours to support the larger scale clean up dives at the Des Moines Marina and Seacrest Park. “This grant has allowed us to expand event staffing, sponsor more Dive Against Debris training and provide more necessary cutting tools helpful for debris collection.” says Scott.

Thanks to the years of dedication, in 2023, Seattle Dive Tours earned PADI Eco Center status.

Scott and Melissa think back on the most important drivers in getting them to where they are today, “Our guiding principle has always been to create an inclusive, service and ecological oriented business. By empowering our team and partnering with a number of environmental groups we have been able to grow, flourish and better serve our local environment and communities.” 

Scott leaves any aspiring PADI Eco Center with one piece of advice; “Do what you are passionate about! Do you. You can’t focus well on 20 disparate projects a year, so concentrate on the top 3 and do them great!”   

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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