A new dive equipment and snorkel hire business on the island is making all the right soundings by organising an underwater and coastal clean-up.
Around 20 divers have enlisted for the clean-up on Saturday week organised by Waiheke Dive and Snorkel Ltd. The location will be confirmed closer to the event depending on site inspections and wind and tide conditions.
Director Adam Whatton extends an invitation to other qualified scuba divers to join the clean up and to non-divers to clean adjacent beaches and coastline at the same time.
The business offers guided tours and dive courses through its website and is due to open retail premises in Oneroa village next month. It has also just gained approval to operate a snorkel-hire kiosk from Little Oneroa beach over summer.
Through the Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI), Mr Whatton’s firm is affiliated to marine conservation charity Project Aware which encourages members to arrange clean-up dives.
“Rather than just go out hunting all the time we use our skills to collect as much rubbish as we can.”
Past dives off the mainland have retrieved “huge amounts of stuff – we’ve removed everything from old tyres to television monitors that have been chucked in the sea.”
Since launching his Waiheke business the Onetangi resident has seen considerable amounts of rubbish while conducting dive tours including beer cans and plastic bottles, packaging and wrapping.
To enlist for the clean-up planned for Saturday, 11 November visit www.waihekedive.com or email: info@waihekedive.com • Geoff Cumming
