Debris Activist: Nic Emery   Location: Ayer Batang Bay, Tioman Island, Malaysia   Diver Since: 2005

Nic Emery first started diving when she was 19. While on holiday in Egypt, she took an open water diving course. From the moment she put her head underwater, she knew she would someday become a dive instructor. Now over a decade later, Nic is not only a dive instructor, she is a Branch Manager at B&J Diving in Malaysia, a Project AWARE environmental activist and Dive Against Debris™ leader in her community. Nic educated her students on the marine debris issue by teaching the Dive Against Debris Specialty, and she encourages them to pick up every single piece of trash they see on a dives. Through organization of monthly Dive Against Debris surveys and environmental volunteer activities, Nic is leading the fight for debris-free seas in her community.

What’s your favorite dive site, and why do you love it?

#MyDiveSite that I’ve chosen to adopt – Mangrove Bay on Tioman Island – isn’t one of our regular dive sites, it’s actually our lunch time chill out spot! Our boat moors up in Mangrove Bay while we munch some local food and enjoy our beautiful, tranquil surroundings. Here, we can watch the sea eagles soar in the rainforest or go snorkeling with baby black tip sharks in the shallow mangrove. It’s pretty special.

Why does it need protecting?

Mangrove Bay needs protecting because we DON’T dive here. This area is visited by lots of snorkelers and is a place of shelter for fishing boats who regularly throw their unwanted rubbish over the sides. The bay also acts as a funnel for floating debris from the open ocean, so the beautiful mangrove forest roots are often covered in old rope, plastic and other debris.

Adopting this site means we can devote special attention to this very special place.

Craziest piece of trash found underwater?

False teeth.

How will you AdoptaDiveSite™?  

I’ll adopt Mangrove Bay by conducting monthly Dive Against Debris surveys, removing and reporting debris around the reef and mangrove roots. I’ll also encourage our crew to take a leisurely snorkel with interested guests during their lunchbreaks to hunt out any debris in the shallows on a daily basis. We are in the process of organizing a big mangrove clean up with local school kids – we really need as many hands as possible to make an impact on the trash in there!