On Wednesday 4th February, PADI Pros and dive volunteers celebrated their shared passion for diving and ocean protection by taking part in a PADI Dive Day event with the Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA) and Project AWARE.

More than 10 PADI 5-Star Dive centers and over 100 volunteers took part in a large scale cleanup above and below water. This extraordinary day of action at Magawish Island, Hurghada, Red Sea, brought together passionate dive professionals, Government Officials and experience conservationists collaborating to raise awareness of one of the biggest ocean issues of our time - marine debris - and work towards solutions to this global issue affecting local communities, our ocean and its wildlife.

"With popular diving areas such as the Red Sea, we can see directly how both responsible diving and divers motivated to be ocean ambassadors, can work hand in hand to ensure sustainable diving growth and increased conservation to improve the state of our oceans," commented Dr. Drew Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer for PADI Worldwide and Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Project AWARE Foundation who joined the PADI Dive Day celebrations.

"PADI, Project AWARE and HEPCA working together, shows the wonderful co-operation possibilities to ensure that divers are truly leaning in and helping to make a difference," he added.

Since 2011, when Project AWARE launched its Dive Against Debris citizen science program, 806 AWARE volunteers have removed and reported more than 2214.6kgs of marine debris from the Red Sea with plastic being one of the most commonly found items.

During the PADI Dive Day, bags and bags were filled with the rubbish collected by all the keen volunteers who joined Dive Centre owners, PADI EMEA Directors and regional managers on Magawish island. 

As part of the PADI Dive Day celebrations, the participating cleanup volunteers who completed a Project AWARE specialty course received a certificate. Fun was had by all but more importantly this amazing event renewed the shared passion dive professionals in the Red Sea, PADI and Project AWARE staff have for ocean protection.

A big THANK YOU to all participants and organizers who made this event a huge success! Special thanks go to Jonas Samuelsson, PADI EMEA Regional Managers for Egypt who drove this initiative with HEPCA.

HEPCA

Long term Project AWARE beach and underwater cleanup partner and recipient of Project AWARE's former Grant Programme for the installation and maintenance of mooring buoys, HEPCA is a leading marine and land conservation NGO working to protect and preserve the natural resources of the Red Sea and Egypt. In addition to protecting fragile eco-systems in the Red Sea, HEPCA participates in solid waste management research and community development. Project AWARE shares HEPCA's vision for a sustainable future for the Red Sea and is proud and excited to collaborate on initiatives such as the PADI Dive Day to further our common goal for a clean and healthy Red Sea.