Dive Against Debris with Sea Experience

On Saturday, May 16, 2026, The International SeaKeepers Society partnered with Sea Experience for our first Dive Against Debris cleanup of 2026. Sea Experience is a dive shop located in Fort Lauderdale that is awarded the PADI Green Star to commemorate their efforts and dedication to conservation and identify them as a dive shop that cares about our coastal environment and actively takes steps to protect it. This month we were joined by eight volunteer divers who descended with mesh bags to collect any trash they spotted beneath the waves. Our first site was Hog Heaven, the wreck of a 180-foot barge about 60-70 feet deep, intentionally sunk in 1986 as part of the Florida Artificial Reef Program. As usual, our volunteers came to the surface with a lot of cargo straps, as well as a bundle of rope and even an abandoned anchor! On our second dive at The Caves, a shallower reef site ranging in depth from 20-30 feet, volunteers found a lot of fishing line stretching over the reef and wrapping around the coral, some with weights, lures and hooks still attached. While diving at The Caves, SeaKeepers Community Engagement Manager took a survey of the status of the coral, which she reported to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection through a BleachWatch report. These dives were an amazing way to kick off our 2026 collaboration with Sea Experience, and we look forward to partnering again in June!