Hailed as the biggest ever Project AWARE cleanup day in Pattaya, 176 participants with ages ranging from 7 upwards took part in this massive environmental effort. Everyone registered at Mermaids Dive Center in Jomtien and was treated to bacon and egg rolls whilst being kitted up for equipment that they needed. All participants were transported to the 6 boats at Bali Hai Pier in South Pattaya, which then cast off bound for Koh Sak. Following initial briefings by Mermaids Staff on board each boat about the procedures for the day, overview of the dive site and safety procedures, divers and snorkelers alike prepared their gear to enter the water on arrival. 

Once the Mermaids fleet including a dedicated safety support speed boat had arrived at Koh Sak and all teams were made aware of their roles, divers and snorkelers entered the water for cleanup session 1. For the next hour, divers, snorkelers and passengers collected, counted and separated trash and when everyone got back to their boat clutching their bags full of rubbish it became obvious just how valuable an event this was proving to be. Some of the trash collected on this session included a car seat, items of clothing and a large amount of bottles. Each bottle was individually checked and was put back in the water if contained living fish or organisms. 

Back on board all the teams then settled down for a hearty lunch cooked on board by the boat crews. The topic of lunchtime conversation was very much about the trash that had been collected with everyone agreeing to be more aware themselves in the future about recycling. 

It was then time for all participants to swim over to the beach at Koh Sak for cleanup session 2 and start collecting trash that had accumulated on the beach both from being washed up and dumped there. Following this the entire group of 176 participants assembled for a group photo on the beach with all of the trash that had been collected. This was then picked up by the Mermaids Safety speed boat to add to the rest of the trash en route to Pattaya. Items found on the beach included a big stuffed teddy bear and after persevering for more than 30 minutes, students and teachers alike from NIST School in Bangkok unearthed a small boat. 

After cleaning the beach the teams proceeded back to the boats and donned their diving and snorkeling gear ready for cleanup session 3. As before there was a dive and snorkeling brief outlining to each team their objectives as well as the safety procedures. Each team entered the water and endeavored to bring up even more waste from the reef below and in the shallow waters. 

Once all the dive and snorkel teams had completed the final cleanup session and all heads on board the boats were accounted for, the fleet of 6 boats and its cargo (which now included a large amount of waste taken from the island) upped anchors and set about returning to Pattaya. Upon arrival at the Bali Hai Pier the trash estimated at 1.5 tons included bottles, tyres, syringes, radios, fishing nets, car batteries and many more items. The trash was off loaded on to pickup trucks and taken to the Pattaya Waste Disposal area. All of the dive gear and participants then returned to Mermaids Dive Center in Jomtien after a very rewarding day. 

Later that evening a celebratory dinner was held at the Jomtien Boathouse with a prize giving and auctions of dive gear in aid of Project AWARE. The evening was opened by Wuthisak Ruemgitjagarn, Deputy Mayor of Pattaya for Environment and Health. Mr Ruemgitjagarn said “I am very proud of what you have all achieved and a good example has been set for everyone”

Prizes for the raffle included Scuba BCDs, watches, clothing, spa sessions and dinners generously donated by Mermaids Dive Center, Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, Dive Supply, Aquamaster Good Tour & Travel, Chacrit Muay Thai School Bangkok, Bike Zone, Aster Spring, Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya, Coca Cola, Nivea Sun, Dadriba, Tom Rosetti, Dive Junkie, Surface Marker Ltd., DAN Asia Pacific, Opera Riserva Wine Bar Bangkok, The Residence Garden and Jomtien Boathouse. 

After a fantastic meal and prize giving all of the participants reiterated what a fun and rewarding day it had been. Looking at the amount of trash collected by the participants of this event and the continued concern for our underwater and beach heritage, hopefully these events will continue and we can continue to look after the treasures that exist under our oceans and bring in thousands of visitors annually.  

Every year an estimated seven billion tons of debris enter the world’s oceans. The consequences are devastating as each year nearly one million birds are killed by aquatic litter and an estimated 100,000 marine animals, including dolphins, whales and sea turtles, choke or get tangled in debris. Off the coast of Pattaya especially in the near island particular problems are caused by trash being dumped over the side of boats rather than taken for environmentally friendly rubbish disposal 

Peter Waagensen, director of Mermaids Dive Center said “without the aid of our sponsors and all our participants we would not be able to make this huge positive impact on our local environment. Thank you to everyone who took part and to all the Mermaids staff and students who devoted their time to help prepare for this worthwhile cause”