Being AWARE

On Sunday Aquatron Dive Centre did something absolutely brilliant! 

Spearheaded by Awesome Annie, a bunch of  people gave up their Sunday lie in and headed to Dog Fish Reef, Loch Fyne to take part in the Project AWARE Foundation Debris Month of Action.

Dog Fish Reef is a very popular site for fishermen, campers and divers but unfortunately due to some peoples inability to dispose of their trash in a responsible manner it has over time started to resemble a rubbish dump with bags of trash stuffed in the bushes and litter & fishing line strewn across the shore. 

The main aim of the day was to do a site clean-up both on shore and under the surface, because the litter on land very easily becomes marine debris and sadly when this happens it is usually a case of 'out of sight, out of mind' for many people.

Every year an astonishing amount of waste makes its way underwater and can reach even the most remote ocean areas. The rubbish kills wildlife, destroys habitats and threatens our health and economy.

As a diver you have a unique opportunity to protect the ocean environment and making every dive that you do a Dive Against Debris, even if it is just a quick removal of some fishing line or stuffing a stray piece of rubbish into your mesh bag when you spot it.

From the Project AWARE website.

The simple action of removing rubbish from the shore or the underwater world has the potential of preventing more of these horrible things from happening...

Pics found via Google images.

You don't have to be a diver to make a difference either, it is just as important to remove rubbish from the shore thus preventing it from ever entering the water.

Here's the Aquatron Dive Against Debris day in pictures...

Dog Fish Reef at Loch Fyne.

Mark and I did our PADI Rescue Diver Course here back in May.

It was nice to see such a good turn out for the event.
Argyll and Bute council had kindly provided litter picker tools and protective gloves for the shore clean-up.

Yes, that is me on the right, looking amazingly fabulous in my scuba gear ;)

The underwater debris removal crack team after their first dive.

The shore crew sorting out the debris, counting and weighing it so that it can be added to the Dive Against Debris Map and project stats.

Just some of the debris collected.

The crack team spotted a wheelbarrow but decided to leave it behind as quite a few underwater creatures had made their home on it. The general guideline is to leave alone if things are growing on it or living inside it, unless of course it is something very harmful to the aquatic environment.

Here is Mark with a couple of divers getting kitted up for their second dive.

Mark did his second Divemaster Trainee session on Sunday. 

All bagged up and ready to be collected by Argyll and Bute council.
My hat goes off to the sorting crew that had to go through all the festering refuse that people had left behind in the bushes.

A worthwhile way to spend a day, I think you'll agree.

In other news this old girl turned forty the other week, became a certified PADI Master Scuba Diver and started her PADI Divemaster Internship with Aquatron Dive Centre, exciting times! 

Hope you are all doing grand.

I will love you and leave you with a cracking tune by the amazing Afro Celt Sound System, enjoy :)

All the best,

Jennie

xXx