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On Saturday, July 11, 2009, 35 individuals made up of tourists and residents
met together under a perfect Bonaire sky to pitch in and help to keep Bonaire’s
reefs beautiful. Divers, snorkelers, and those who assisted on land worked
seamlessly together to process a large amount of trash removed from the island’s
yacht anchorage. Images from this cleanup are available on-line at the Bonaire
Insider Photo Gallery by clicking here.
During a complete briefing by Susan Davis of NetTech, it was explained what
trash should be recovered and what should be left behind, as well as how to keep
from damaging any marine animals. Shortly afterward, the divers entered the
water, descended and began to fill their bags with trash. When filled, the bags
were brought to the surface to those working as shore support. There, Dive
Friends crew and volunteers checked once again to be sure no marine creatures
had been inadvertently included, counted and tallied the trash for statistics,
and then disposed of it responsibly.
It was only nine months since this area was last cleaned, but still a large
amount of trash was extracted and properly disposed: 3 plastic bags, 93
beverage cans, 23 pieces of clothing or shoes, 4 tin cans, 3 bait containers, 8
fishing lures, 15 light sticks, 3 tools, 1 can of paint, 23 pieces of
dinnerware, 11 pieces of tissue or newspaper, 1 straw, 2 toys, and 4 pieces of
metal. Additionally, 2 fishing nets, 7 pieces of rope, 10 pieces of fiberglass,
1 strapping band, 1 spark plug, 5 pieces of building materials, 1 small tire, 3
towels, 9 pieces of wood, 25 pieces of plastic, 3 wires, 18 glass pieces, and 3
pieces of linoleum were also tallied.
The group was able to retrieve even more trash, which was more than could be
processed and counted on Saturday. These piles of trash are in the shallows and
will be removed, checked for marine animals, and tallied next weekend by Dive
Friends staff.
After the dive, all participants and their families were
welcomed back for a Pot Luck BBQ—Dive Friends Bonaire and NetTech, the sponsors
of the Bonaire cleanups, provided drinks and main courses, while participants
supplied side dishes.
The next quarterly underwater cleanup is scheduled for Saturday, April 9,
2010. All are welcome to join in.
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