Sometimes January and February bring higher wind strength along the coastline, so it’s important we do our bit to help keep blowing rubbish under control.
Of course the most important focus should be to stop the litter from accumulating in the first place, but it is also important for us to clean the beaches and underwater to ensure that any rubbish which does build up in the desert or on the reef is disposed of correctly.
Plastic is one of the biggest killers of marine life and takes a long time to degrade. Even when it does it leaves tiny particles which are toxic to wildlife and which upset the natural balance of the eco system. Since the beginning of the year we have organized three clean-ups. We started the new year pro-actively with a cleanup of Marsa Nakari bay in conjunction with Viaggio Nel Blue Marsa Alam.
On the 3rd anniversary of the Egyptian revolution we decided to show support to Egypt with a cleaning of a Marsa Assalaya public beach & reef in conjunction with HEPCA. Marsa Assalaya is one of the beautiful bay of Marsa Alam and sadly is always full of plastic rubbish because of the wind and the carelessness of some people who go to dive or snorkeling and leave their lunch bags and lunch boxes behind. We found a lot of plastic bottles, strips of plastic tape used to identify the nitrox/air tanks (!!!) and a lot of packs of cigarettes + butts thrown away on the beach. PLEASE wherever you on holiday and dive, remember to pay attention to what you leave behind. Keep the rubbish with you and bring it back to your resort or use the bins that HEPCA provide on the places here, where we go to dive. Check out the photos here.
On 7th February we organized a cleanup of Abu Galawa Big dive site, accessed from Wadi Lahami by speedboat in conjunction with HEPCA, followed by cleaning the mangroves at Wadi Lahami. The mangrove area at Wadi Lahami is particularly beautiful and is home to a huge variety of wildlife and birdlife. Mangroves are a protected species in the Red Sea and are crucial to the whole eco system. They provide a nursery for baby fish and other creatures, including baby Hawksbill and Green turtles, while also providing a nesting place for birds which may be hard to find in the harsh desert conditions. It is important to keep them clean and protected for the wildlife to survive.
In the evening, Ahmed Fouad Gad from HEPCA gave our guests, along with guests from Orca and Barrakuda diving centresa presentation about environmental matters plus a brief introduction to HEPCAs various projects including: the Solid Waste Management they run in Marsa Alam, "Stop plastic bags" initiative, the importance of beach and underwater clean ups, HEPCA and Shark Project, sustainable fishing, environmental education for schools, community development and last but not least, the famous Samadai Project. He also distributed various information brochures for the guests to take away.
We would like to thank all guests for their participation and enthusiasm, HEPCA for joining us, and Oliver Taylor for kindly donating his underwater pictures of the event. You can view the pictures here.
