It's a new year with a fresh start, but fishermen will fish and their nets will get caught on the reefs. 

Downbelow's Instructor Paul spotted the net a couple of days ago already, but with our January Instructor Development Course in full swing, plus a surge of diving clientelle, we didn't have any manpower to spare.

Yesterday however, Richard spotted a lull and instructed Paul to round up a crew and extract the net, which he duly did.

Amongst the members of the net removal team was Sam, one of our new Instructor Development Course candidates and professional diving intern.

She joined us last last month and will be with us for a couple of months, working towards becoming a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor.

The net removal was her first such diving experience and will be invaluable as a future Instructor that will lundoubtedly be environmentally aware. 

Needless to say, the crew made short work of the net and before long had safely untangled the reef.  

 

The net was returned to the surface where it will be documented, reported to Sabah Parks and properly discarded or, like some of the nets before it, repurposed as trash bags for future Project AWARE events