Last month, we reported on an upcoming attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the Largest Underwater Cleanup. This month we can report the record was broken on June 8, 2019, when 633 divers took part in a cleanup dive at Deerfield Beach, Florida.
The divers have earned the record for “Most participants in an underwater cleanup in 24 hours.”
According to event organizer and owner of Dixie Divers Arilton Pavan:
“We could not have done this without every single diver there… Each person was significant in making this achievement a reality. The scuba community united together under a single mission to do something good for the environment, coming together from across the state of Florida and around the world.”
The event was sponsored by local dive centers and PADI’s Project AWARE, and Dive Against Debris collated all the data from the dive.
According to PADI President and CEO Drew Richardson:
“On behalf of the entire PADI organization, I would like to congratulate all involved in this monumental event. It was a remarkable demonstration of the impact divers can have on the health of oceans, both locally and on a global scale, by elevating awareness about key issues facing our blue planet.”
During the event, divers removed 9,000 pieces of marine debris, including a huge 3,200 pounds/~1451 kilos of fishing gear.
