Debris Activist: Tim Latimer  Location: Dauin, Negros Oriental, Philippines  Diver Since: 1995

Originally from the prairies of western Canada, Tim Latimer first picked up scuba diving as not only a hobby, but as a means of enabling him to travel and live in warmer climates. As a dive instructor, Tim has spent time teaching and living all over the world. In places like Honduras, Nicaragua, Cyprus and Thailand, his experiences have given him the opportunity to witness first-hand the effects that humans can have on the ocean. One particular travel experience prompted Tim to become more invested in ocean protection: shocked upon hearing local dynamite fishing while diving in the Philippines, Tim decided to take a more active role in marine conservation. Tim adopted the Philippines as his new home, and got involved in Project AWARE’s Dive Against Debris™ program, incorporating Dive Against Debris education and curriculum into all scuba instructor development courses that he teaches at Liquid Dumaguete Dive Center in the Philippines. By ‘teaching the teachers,’ Tim is helping to spread Dive Against Debris principles far and wide.

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

Liquid Dumaguete Dive Center’s house reef of Mainit, directly in front of the resort, is the site that I dive the most. It is such a varied dive site that you can never become bored diving on it:

It starts with an unassuming sandy slope, but then scattered coral heads appear. The site’s strong current often keeps divers drifting from one part of the reef to another – and that’s part of the fun! As you drift, you can encounter the resident school of barracuda or some of the many small creatures that inhabit an established artificial reef. But it’s the end of the dive that is most astounding! There, divers see natural hot springs breaking through the sea floor, where vents create vast areas of orange sand and crumbling ledges that look like a scene from Mars. It’s a truly beautiful and unique dive site!

Why does your dive site need protecting?

With the strong currents in this area comes an abundant amount of schooling fish. These are great for us as divers, but they also attract the local fishermen. Even though the area is a sanctuary, fishing line and other plastic debris is a continual problem. Monthly clean ups will help to remove all the old lines and keep a track of how the sanctuary system is faring at keeping new lines from appearing. 

Craziest piece of trash you’ve found underwater?

On a recent dive, a friend of mine found a cassette player. It became a hot topic since a few members of the dive group didn’t know what it was! It just went to show how long trash can remain in underwater environments – it had been in the ocean for an entire generation of divers.

How will you Adopt a Dive Site™?

I’ll train Liquid Dumaguete Dive Center staff and dive instructors to conduct monthly Dive Against Debris surveys, and our resort will adhere to a “no straw” and “no plastic bag” policy. We’ll continue to separate our trash for proper recycling and disposal and focus on keeping plastics out of the ocean environment.