Earth Day April 2016 - Lighthouse Bay & Green House
The day began with a Morning Land clean up – at 9 am with several meeting points to start the clean up all over the island including Mae Haad Main Pier, Sairee Cross Roads by 7-Eleven, Saree Beach 7-Eleven Main Road 7-Eleven, Chalok Baan Kao, and Aow Leuk Beach. Sunshine Divers co-ordinated the morning clean up on Chalok Baan Kao and Ban’s Diving Resort gathered the gang and clean-up Sairee Beach.
The Underwater Clean-up started at 12.30pm and finished at 5.30pm with several dive centres allocated dive sites to clean around the island. Apnea Total – Jansom Bay & Tao Tong North, Asia Divers – Aow Leuk North & Aow Leuk South, Bans/Sunshine Divers – Green Rock Coastline and Lighthouse Bay, Big Blue – Aow Leuk North and Hin Ngam, Budda View – Aow Langkai and Tanote Bay, Carabao & French Kiss – Mango Bay Drop Off and Hin Wong North, Crystal Dive – Aow Mao North & Aow Mao South, Dive Point – Tao Tong South & Mae Haad South, DJL – Sairee Reef North & Sairee Reef Central, Koh Tao Divers – Hin Wong Drop-off & Hin Wong Central, Master Divers – Laem Thien Cove & Laem Thien Bay, Mojo Divers – Sai Nuan & Sairee Reef South, New Heaven – Aow Ta Char & Freedom Beach, New Way – Aow Leuk South & King Kong, Panther Divers – Hin Wong North & Hin Wong South, Sairee Cottage – Mango Bay South & Bay 1, Scuba Junction – Rocky Bay and Sai Daeng, Seashell – Hin Wong South & Aow Mao Central, Simple Life – Mango Bay North & Bio Rock/Hin Fai.
For those who participate – a donation of 1000 baht was made toward joining the clean-up and this money was raised in support of Chad Scott who has recently been diagnosed with Leukemia.
The combined effort of both Sunshine Divers and Ban’s Diving Resort participants of 54 people helped collect the following debri: At Lighthouse Bay conditions for the day were delightful with a few clouds and visibility of 15m underwater. Average depth for the dive was between 6m and 19m and dive time 50 mins.The items collected mostly of concern were plastic bottles of both larger and smaller than 2 Ltrs. A total of 390 bottles were collected and overall weight of the trash was approximately 70 Kg. Fishing lines and nets were also a concern which brought to our attention that the reason for this occurring may be the currents re-directing the trash from other bays or the off shore fishing boats that moor up during the rough weather.
For the Second Dive site Green Rock the average depth was between 5m and 18m and the estimated weight of all items collected was 40kg. Conditions were calm, coral reef environement and we believe that currents would have directed the trash to this dive site. Items mostly of concern was fishing net and barbed wire.
After the Clean up the evening ended with an Earth Day party hosted at The Hacienda where all participates joined in to celebrate the days achievements.
Thank you to all who particpated!!!