This year we are hosting 2 waves of the next group of University of Glamorgan students at our PADI 5 Star IDC Dive Centre on Gaya island.

This week we saw the departure of the 1st wave, who spent 8 days with us on the island, collecting research data on the corals and sea grass near our dive centre.

As all our group programs contain an ecological awareness element, our groups often pitch in to give something back to the environment, usually by taking something, rubbish, away.

These Glamorgan students were no different, and were keen to help out in the mangrove swamps located in the bay adjacent to the dive centre.

Resident PADI Course Director Richard Swann briefed the group, informing them about the work of the AWARE Foundation and the importance to the marine ecology of the mangrove swamps.

He also outlining the type of marine debris they are likely to encounter and how it ends up there.

Hot, humid weather in spite, the University of Glamorgan students jumped in whole-heartedly and hualed out many bags of rubbish, which will be weighed and reported ot the local authorities.

There are more pictures in our Project AWARE Clean-up Photo Album.