Dive Against Debris with Sea Experience

Overview

On Saturday, March 16th, The International SeaKeepers Society collaborated again with Sea Experience to host a Dive Against Debris underwater cleanup! Sea Experience, a dive shop located in Ft. Lauderdale, has been 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 weekend, we were assisted by 3 divers onboard their vessel in collecting trash from both of the dive sites: Hog Heaven and The Caves. We started with our first tank at 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, we collected tons of cargo shipping straps, removing whatever we could without damaging the reef. We then proceeded to The Caves for our second tank, a shallower reef site ranging in depth from 20-30 feet, named for its small caves. During this dive, we encountered lots of fishing line and weights that we were able to untangle and remove. While we looked for trash, we also had the pleasure of spotting a Nurse shark, a Trumpetfish and several Pufferfish and Lizardfish, among other species frequently seen in the area. We take pride in our efforts to remove debris from these sites, ensuring they remain clean for their residents and for future divers to enjoy, and we look forward to our next dive in April with Sea Experience!