Latest News from Northland Dive

Sep 19, 2009, BEACH CLEANUP

Northland Dive supports PADI Project Aware

We're back from a great holiday in Raro and raring to organize the Project Aware cleanup in Deep Water Cove. Project Aware has volunteers in over 100 countries worldwide taking part in International Cleanup Day and collect vital data on marine debris to help educate, inform and legislate. I'm looking at Beach and Underwater Cleanups, litter on land finds its way to the aquatic environment, much of it carried from city streets and inland waterways. Tons of cigarette butts, plastic bottles and everything in between end up on our beaches and underwater. Marine creatures including turtles, dolphins and sea birds are harmed by fishing gear and plastic debris, risking the survival of many threatened and endangered species.


Since the Canterbury has been sunk I have not noticed an increase in debris in Deep Water Cove but this is still a great opportunity to remove what's there and it helps reinforce our support in protecting the marine environment (Rahui).
Posted by: julia
Media Release - 21/09/09 (by Nicki Wakefield)

Divers Clean Up Deep Water Cove

Fifteen volunteers from as far as Auckland removed hundreds of KG's of marine debris from Deep Water Cove this weekend as part of the Project Aware International Underwater Cleanup Day 2009. Deep Water Cove (Maunganui Bay) located near Cape Brett is well known as a past and present pristine sheltered anchorage in the Bay of Islands, popular dive spot, former Zane Grey big game fishing base, and final resting place of the Former H.M.N.Z.S Canterbury. Yet this beautiful spot is also the resting place of the thousands of empty vessels - of the glass kind. One month ago Northland Dive (aka the Cowshed) located on Russel Rd offered the opportunity to be a part of the underwater cleanup to their regular clients. "It's great these people were keen to travel from as far as Auckland to help clean up one of their favourite dive spots - spaces filled up fast." said Northland Dive Co-Owner Shane Housham. It was a flat, sunny day. The volunteers traveled from Te Uenga Bay by Northland Dive's "Double 0 7". Beneath the water several octopi, squid, baby conger eels, clown nudibranchs, and eagle rays were found living among the results of years of above water celebrations.

"Deep water cove is an amazing place - surrounded by native forest and the waters are teeming with life" said clean up volunteer Nicki Wakefield "especially now it is protected under a no-take Rahui. I couldn't believe how much rubbish there was". During the day several fishing boats were approached and informed of the recently installed 2 year Rahui. "Most people are apologetic and go to fish elsewhere" told the other half of Northland Dive, Julia Riddle.

It is estimated 6 million tonnes of rubbish enter our oceans annually - and it seems this is not restricted to densely populated areas. Deep Water Cove yeilded 9 bags of rubbish from the shoreline (consisting of 76 clothes pegs, 106 pieces of rope, 229 plastic caps and general rubbish) 264 glass bottles from the sea bed with a grand total of 189kgs of rubbish removed. The Project Aware International Cleanup Day involved thousands of cleanups in 100 countries on the 19th of September with the goals of community action and collecting meaningful data to help reduce the amount of rubbish entering the marine environment. Last year 1.4 million plastic bags were collected in one day. "There's still plenty of rubbish down there" said Julia. "We will definitely be making this an annual event".


Photo Caption: Deep Water Cove cleanup volunteers (from left) .Jacqui Robson, Janet Hickford,Tara Barry, Daryl Harrison, Mitch Horn, David MacFarlane, Danial Dewhurst, Jules Widdison, Nick Hansen, Julia Riddle, Chris Panayiotou, Brent Papworth, Steven Burris & Nicki Wakefield