Green awareness

The authorities in Dalian have not issued any laws or regulations related to newly emerging marine recreational sports, but most participants try to protect the environment.

Zhao Daqian, 38, an amateur underwater photographer, leaves a marine area immediately after shooting video footage, in order to keep disturbance to aquatic life to a minimum.

At his workshop, he keeps a brochure titled The South Australian Recreational Fishing Guide, which he uses for his underwater work.

When Zhao was studying for his master's in hydrobiology at Dalian Ocean University, he attended a one-year exchange program at the South Australian Research and Development Institute in 2011.

He was deeply impressed by the well-protected marine environment in Adelaide, the South Australian state capital.

After returning to Dalian, Zhao and several other divers set up a diving club. They also started work on Dalian Marine Life, a documentary on how it looks like under the water.

Zhao, who learned to dive in 2009, has performed a total of more than 1,000 dives in China and overseas.

"In some areas, the environment was not good. The best place now is Haiyangdao township in Changhai county. The eelgrass beds are very lush there, but if I hadn't captured them on my camera, I wouldn't have believed it," Zhao said.

Every time he photographs a marine creature, he refers to a wealth of information, and when he makes a video, he discusses marine creatures' habits and other details.

"Dalian is known for its delicious seafood, which local residents adore. However, I discovered that they knew very little about marine creatures. I want to help people learn more about marine life through my explorations and discoveries," Zhao said.

He now has 30,000 followers and his videos have attracted a total of about 5 million views on social media platforms.

"As (British zoologist and conservationist) Jane Goodall said, 'Only if we understand, can we care.' I believe that when more and more people are willing to learn about marine life, these creatures will be better cared for and protected," Zhao said.