Thailand Council coordinates underwater clean up with local dive center and USNS Safeguard

by Sheena Walls (General Manager, Mermaids Dive Center)

Pattaya, Thailand -- When Mermaids Dive Center was approached by the Navy League Thailand Council President Peter Thorand to do a joint underwater clean up with the USNS Safeguard (Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit One) and our students, the first reaction was wow!  Followed by what do these guys do? What equipment do they use?  How can we all dive together?

During the organisation of the event, we came up with the idea for Cmdr. Tony San Jose and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Mark Thomas and the diving crew of the USNS Safeguard to do a presentation at Mermaids on the August 27.  Mark and the crew arrived at Mermaids loaded up with equipment that most of us couldn’t wait to get our hands on.  After a great presentation, we all got a chance to try the gadgets on and firmly bonded a relationship with them that was to continue onto the next day.  Our fears were unfounded!

On the 28th August at 8am, Andy Campbell, PADI Divemaster who had organised all the equipment needed for the cleanup, 17 students and six USNS Safeguard crew were ready to go. Today was going to be a special day. By 9am all the equipment and the divers were on the boat and we were ready to set sail for Hat Nuan where we were going to clean up!

Hat Nuan on the south side of the island of Koh Larn has in the past needed a lot of cleaning up but as Andy said “I was impressed by the amount of rubbish that was not present, if that makes sense; because on previous clean-ups that I have participated in, it seems to me people just don’t care what they put in the ocean. Maybe people are becoming more aware of the conservation work that Mermaids are doing to help conserve the reefs and beaches in the Chonburi area”

After a hearty lunch, all divers went back to the same site but concentrated on the east side of the bay. More rubbish was found in this area than the other side of the bay, probably because the headland juts out and acts like a breakwater, accumulating rubbish when the tide is going out.  Lots of bottles were found, as usual, also many yards of rope and net fish traps.

When collating the data for Project AWARE, the “MermaidGuards” had collected ten very large garbage bags full of bottles, plastic, rope nets and an assortment of random bits and pieces for example, an old car headlight, a toy gun and a pair of underpants!   Approximately 150kgs was removed from the bay at Hat Nuan; it was a good fun day out, and everyone had a great time.

Mark Thomas, USNS Safeguard said “Thanks for taking care of us Sheena. It was truly the classiest dive trip I have ever been part of. Your team of divers really went out of their way to make us feel welcome and comfortable the entire trip; and I am sure you heard the visibility was awesome”

Navy League President Peter Thorand would like to thank the Mermaids Dive Centre the for making this great experience possible and the Divers of the USNS Safeguard made a lot of new friends .  They wished that they were still here to help us out on the International Cleanup day on the 20th September but sadly they will be leaving Pattaya before, but the impact they made will remain on us all.