A huge thank you to all of the volunteers that participated in the latest dive against debris and clean-up events. Every dive is an opportunity to battle debris. Last week volunteers took to the beaches and the ocean to collect litter, raise awareness and make a difference this holiday season. On Wednesday the 23rd of December a keen team of volunteers combed the beaches, descended beneath the waves and snorkelled the surface to remove litter from our beach and ocean. Despite the relentless showers a team of four volunteers headed out onto Sairee beach to collect litter that had made its way onto the shore line. The team collected about 15 kilograms of rubbish from the beach, dominated by the usual number one offender, cigarette butts. We also found a lot of bottles, both plastic and glass, food packaging, straws, plastic cups and balloons. In the afternoon nine volunteers donned scuba gear and descended beneath the waves to remove debris from the ocean floor. Targeting 'Sairee reef' dive site we found and removed 17kg of debris dominated by abandoned fishing gear, both lines and nets and an array of plastic rubbish from water bottles, and plastic fragments to straws and food packaging. Every Wednesday groups of enthusiastic volunteers devote their time to help keep our island the beautiful paradise that we all treasure. This week's team was made up of divers from all different levels from open water and advanced to divemasters, instructors and a course director. The shared passion for the marine environment creates an incredible atmosphere, every single person surfaced from their dive, emerged from their snorkel and returned from their beach clean up glowing, knowing that they had made a positive impact on the planet and left inspired, enthusiastic to pass the message on to another and sign up for the next event. The act of removing litter results in an immediate benefit for the local area, which goes on to motivate and engage divers of all levels to work together and tackle the global issue of marine debris by raising awareness, influencing the volunteers to alter their habits and pass on the message to those around them. Identifying the types of marine debris we find helps us find solutions for problems at their source, if we can reduce the number of plastic bottles island wide then we can reduce the number that end up in the ocean. The B.E.A.C.H. team have designed a new selection of signs for butt disposal and a reduction in straw use, we hope these will have an impact! Diving allows us to truly submerge ourselves in another world, and as dive professionals provides us with the opportunity to make that world our 'office', to share our passion for the aquatic environment and its inhabitants with others. We are thankful for the ocean, and all of the creatures that call it home. Our ocean, our responsibility. If you would like to get involved in Dive Against Debris or any other events with us, we would love to meet you. Please 'like' the B.E.A.C.H. page (www.facebook.com/beachatbans) and come and join the team.   Educate → Protect → Conserve Massive thank you to B.E.A.C.H. Photographer Jeerapong Prathomsup for the fantastic shots.