Over 100 volunteers, made up of visitors and island residents alike, combined their efforts on Saturday, April 9, 2011 in the third consecutive record-setting underwater cleanup of Kralendijk Bay in the area of It Rains Fishes Restaurant. Their efforts proved that one individual can make a difference, when working together with others for a common good. Dive Friends Bonaire and NetTech N.V. are the event sponsors for these quarterly underwater cleanups, as they have been since 1998, but many others assisted to make the event a success.
After registration was complete, a complete briefing was given, providing an explanation of how to recover the trash, as well as what should be recovered and what should be left behind, as it is always of utmost importance that all participants refrain from harming any marine organisms. With volunteers on shore ready to check, sort, and count the trash, the divers and snorkelers entered the water and began their search for debris and trash. With their bags bursting at the seams, those in the water reported back to the shore team, where the trash was processed and then disposed of properly in a large bin which Bonaire's waste management company, Selibon, had donated for the day.
The dock area that was scoured in this cleanup is popular with visiting yachts and others using the shallow water area for transport to shore, and, due to this, it can accumulate more trash than other areas of the reef, as trash can be easily blown over the side of vessels. The following was removed during this cleanup of Kralendijk Bay:
491 Beverage Bottles (glass)
172 Cups, Plates Forks, Knives, Spoons
112 Building Materials
88 Beverage Cans
24 Fishing Lines
17 Beverage Bottles (plastic)
16 Food Wrappers/Containers
15 Ropes
11 Appliances
9 Clothing, Shoes
9 Strapping Bands
8 Fishing Nets
8 Plastic Sheeting/Tarps
7 Straws, Stirrers
6 Bleach/Cleaner Bottles
5 Plastic bags
3 Caps or Lids
3 Bait Containers/packaging
3 Oil/Lube Bottles
3 Tires
2 Fishing Lures/Lights Sticks
2 Cars/Car Parts
1 Paper bag
1 Pull Tab
1 6-pack Holder
1 Toy
1 Crate
1 Light Bulb/Tube
1 Battery
1 Floor mat for a car
In the later afternoon, all participants and their families and friends were welcomed back for a Pot Luck BBQ, with food and beverages hosted by Dive Friends Bonaire and NetTech and where quite a party ensued. Before enjoying a great dinner, all participants were eligible for a variety of raffle prizes, consisting of t-shirts and caps and dive accessories. Volunteers were also given special dive log pages for their personal logs.
Thanks go to the day sponsors: Bonaire National Marine Park, Deep Blue, Dive Shades, It Rains Fishes Restaurant, Mondrian, Obersi Group, Ouray Sportswear, Reef, Selibon, and the Water Taxi Kontika di Amor. The next quarterly underwater cleanup is scheduled for Sunday, July 10th, 2011. Registration begins at 9:30 AM at Dive Friends @ Yellow Submarine, with the cleanup at the Town Pier beginning at 10:00 AM. Those interested in participating should make a reservation by sending an email to: cleanups@dive-friends-bonaire.com. All are welcome to join in.
