An oceanside vacation can mean more than just lying on the beach, dipping your toes in the ocean. Blue tourism, which often has an emphasis on conservation, is gaining traction as an option for travellers who want to connect with the world’s water.

Paradise Island in the Bahamas recently launched a blue tourism initiative aimed at educating people about marine habitats, the necessity of conservation programs and the utility of fragile coral reefs, which are in rough shape due to human interference throughout the hundreds of Bahamian islands.

The Blue Project is administered by the Kerzner Marine Foundation in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, Bahamas National Trust and Bahamas Reef Education Environmental Foundation. The project is based at The Reef, part of the massive Atlantis resort on Paradise Island.

Atlantis has long encouraged inter-action with marine life and has more than 50,000 fish and marine animals, from manta rays to nurse sharks and jellyfish, in both open-air habitats and more conventional aquariums. The Blue Project is hoping to further raise awareness about the importance of underwater ecosystems.

Elgin Hepburn, marine manager at Atlantis, says that the Bahamas is only now discovering how much damage has been done to reefs and is struggling to figure out how to balance industry and investment with the preservation of dwindling natural resources. “Tourism is our bread and butter,” says Mr. Hepburn. “But we have to do it in a way that preserves the ecosystem.”

Atlantis visitors who book a room at the Reef Atlantis or take a Blue Tours snorkeling trip will have a portion of their booking fee donated to the project. The Reef is currently offering guests four nights for the price of three, starting at US$799. A two-and-a-half hour snorkeling expedition costs US$45 for children and US$55 for adults. Guests of the Reef also have access to a Beneath the Surface Tour — also used to educate Bahamian schoolchildren — to see both the fish kitchen and fish hospital, which recently included a rescued sea turtle with a missing flipper solemnly swimming in a circle.

Further west, in Quintana Roo, Mexico, efforts are being made to showcase and protect the most preserved portion of the Yucatan peninsula’s coral reef. Sian Ka’an is a United Nations World Heritage Site and the largest protected marine area in Mexico. Grand Velas All Suites and Spa Resort Riviera Maya has partnered with Community Tours Sian Ka’an to offer the Biosphere Reserve Eco Adventure Tour. The one-day tour offers guests a chance to snorkel around undisturbed white beaches and observe a wide array of creatures with the aim of enhancing appreciation of the underwater world without leaving a footprint.

Grand Velas requires a minimum stay of four nights and prices (per guest, per night) range from $169 (for children) to $626 (for an adult, single occupancy). In addition to the snorkeling expedition, the package includes accommodations, meals, workout programs and 24-hour butler service.

And what about something specifically for the kids? At Acqualina Resort & Spa, an elegant 97-room oasis stationed on 400 feet of beautiful coastline in Miami, you can engage those blossoming consciences with the idea of respecting the life aquatic. The resort offers a marine biology-based kids program, which includes lessons about whales, how waves and tsunamis are created and the value of coral reefs to ocean ecosystems. Prices are US$35 for a half-day, and US$55 for the full day.