On February 6, 2022, hundreds of PADI Torchbearers descended on Catalina island for the 40th annual Avalon Harbor Underwater Clean-up.
The day was a great success, with over 654 individuals taking part and removing over 3,000 lbs/1360 kg of trash.
In total, the team removed 2,743 pieces of marine debris from above and below the surface, cleaning up the areas around Casino Point, Stepp Beach and Green Pier. The effort removed not only trash but also 119 marine animals, including sharks and octopus, were rescued and released from underwater entanglements.
Commenting about the effort, Danna Moore, the Director of PADI AWARE Foundation, stated:
“This was an extremely successful event that drew in a wide array of people from both the local community and afar to take part in ocean conservation in a meaningful – and hands-on – way. The collective results of the Avalon Harbor Underwater Cleanup have put us within grasp of removing over 2 million pieces of marine debris from the ocean since we set out on this mission in 2011. In addition, we have helped make the waters around Catalina Island that much safer for the marine life who call the kelp forests home – and we saved over 100 animals in the process.”
Moore added:
“Ridding our ocean of plastic and other marine debris requires is a critical and massive effort. For over 40 years, the diving community in California has been coming together to cleanup the ecosystems they cherish. Imagine if every community around the world consistently mobilized to do the same for the next four decades. The ocean needs us now more than ever, and events like this allow everyone to take meaningful, hands-on action with rewarding results.”
You can check out a video of the Avalon Harbor cleanup below.
