“During the first 4 months of 2017, over 220kg / 450lb of trash was removed from Curacao’s reefs on the Dive Bus monthly Dive Against Debris Clean Ups," says Mark Pinnell, owner of The Dive Bus and Curacao's first PADI Ambassadiver.
"Volunteer divers cleared 32kg / 70lb of trash from the reef on our Earth Day Clean Up alone. It's time to take action to prevent trash entering our oceans in the first place. Now.”
More than 20 divers from the Netherlands, Curacao, UK, Panama, USA, Canada and Germany took part in the Earth Day Clean Up, and several attended the Project AWARE Dive Against Debris course beforehand.
After sorting, weighing and logging the trash from the clean up, some of the divers explain why it's time to make some changes.
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| Joseph |
“We, as an island, are focusing on bringing tourists to Curacao and I would like to see a sustainable Curacao," says Joseph.
"I'm from Curacao and we need to start taking better care of our island. Start by taking your trash home and throwing it away properly or recycling it. Don’t let it end up in the ocean – it pollutes the water we drink and the fish that we eat. Be smart: take care of your island, take care of yourselves.”
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| Fitz |
“I think that the planet is worth saving," added Fitz, also from Curacao. "Not only for me or my kids but for all the people who live here in Curacao. We have-to do something. It’s easy to start: don’t buy plastic, don’t throw it out of the window and recycle stuff."
"Next time you’re at a beach bar or a shop, say ‘No Thanks’ to plastic bags, straws, drink stirrers or a plastic glass… Why do we need them? We don’t need them."
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| John and Trish |
American divers, John and Trish, living in Panama, vacationing in Curacao, share their simple philosophy for keeping plastic and other trash out of the ocean:
"If you brought it to the beach, take it back home with you, don’t leave it there to end up in the ocean."
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| " 'Refuse, Reduce, Recycle' isn't a suggestion or a lifestyle choice. It's a necessity." |
"It's great that so many divers join in our efforts to clean up our ocean. But it's time for everyone to shift focus onto stopping it getting there in the first place."
Check out the interviews and the
Project AWARE Earth Day Clean Up, Curacao, 2017
Project AWARE Earth Day Clean Up, Curacao, 2017
courtesy of our buddies at Turtle & Ray Productions
Find out what all the fuss is about:
- Why keeping trash out of the ocean is such a big deal to people, not only marine life
- Discover the extent to which plastic already in our food chain
See how easy it is to make a difference to your world:
- Take the ProjectAWARE Dive Against Debris Specialty Course. You don't need to be a diver, just a human being.
- Find how The Dive Bus tries to take care of our underwater world
- Join in a Dive Bus Clean Up if you're heading to sunny Curacao...
#oceancleanup #earthday #100%AWARE #projectAWARE #PADI #Ambassadiver #oceancleanup #divecuracao #Curacao #CHATA #sustainabletourism #sustainability #turtleandray #thedivebus
