(b) (5)
Each commercial manta ray viewing operation permit shall authorize the carrying of no more than sixty passengers per twenty-four-hour period. Operators shall maintain a ratio of at least one guide per eight participants at any given time, regardless of how many of a vessel’s participants are in the water. No more than one commercial manta ray viewing operation permit shall be issued per person or business entity.
Proposed Edit:
Scuba operators shall maintain a ratio of at least one guide per eight participants at any given time, regardless of how many of a vessel’s participants are in the water. Snorkel operators shall maintain a ratio of at least one guide per 12 participants at any given time, regardless of how many of a vessel’s participants are in the water. No more than one commercial manta ray viewing operation permit shall be issued per person or business entity.
Scuba and snorkel tour operators should have different ratios, as they face different safety concerns. Snorkel tour operators can manage a higher ratio because they are on the surface and participants hold on to a light board, so the risk of a participant drifting away from the group is substantially lower than scuba tour operators.
Capping tour operators at 60 passengers per night does not improve safety. For instance, if a tour operator is carrying passengers 60-70 at 2am, while no other commercial tour operators are on the water, this would not pose a safety concern.
Each commercial manta ray viewing operation permit shall authorize the carrying of no more than sixty passengers per twenty-four-hour period.Operators shall maintain a ratio of at least one guide per eight participants at any given time, regardless of how many of a vessel’s participants are in the water.No more than one commercial manta ray viewing operation permit shall be issued per person or business entity.I don’t really care about the arbitrary ratio weather its 1:8 or 1:12 as long as its safe.
I DO CARE about no more than one permit per person or entity. The valuation of each company is significantly impacted by the number of activity permits allowed.