On the latest International Cleanup Day on 19.Sep.2009 we had 24 guests. Everyone met at The Anchor Inn (the Sea Bees restaurant next to the dive shop), and at 9.30 am we left for Chalong Pier where, once onboard, a final equipment check took place before MV Excalibur II set off for Koh Mai Thon.

This small island on Phuket’s south-east coast, with it’s beautiful sandy beaches and clear water, is a perfect spot for holidaymakers who want to escape the stresses and strains of modern life. The diving is suitable both for beginners and for those who just want to drift their way through a nice relaxing dive. The many small pinnacles offer a diverse range of marine life such as moray eels, nudibranchs, fusiliers and soldier fish – sometimes even razorfish are to be found bobbing gently just above the sand. Sea Bees only make occasional visits to the dive spots around Koh Mai Thon, when they want to avoid the congestion sometimes found on the busier sites or to offer their divers something a little bit different from the rest. During previous dives we realised that a thorough clean up was necessary to remove rubbish which our divers had begun to find there.

During our one hour journey to the site dive guide Jans gave a detailed briefing about the dive site itself, and also about procedures for safely cleaning the reef without causing any damage to the corals, after which gloves and net-bags were distributed to all. Once the clean up began there was a steady stream of divers returning to the surface with full loads – almost every 5 minutes another net-bag appeared filled with beverage cans, nets, plastic bottles, shoes, etc. Same as last year tyres were taken from the reef. In all about more than 100 kg of rubbish were collected.

On the way back to Phuket every participant received a Certificate of Recognition from our Public Relation Manager Frank for their involvement in the International Coastal Cleanup Day, which was supported by SSI (Scuba Schools International), TDA Diving Association (Thailand) and Green Fins Thailand, which is affiliated to the United Nations.

All participants also goot a CMAS T-Shirt and a TDA – badge.

After arriving back at the pier, everyone was treated to a drink at the Anchor Inn. All participants could clearly see the importance of the clean up and were very satisfied with the good work done on the day. All in all the event was a great success so thank you again to all participants – the environment will thank you for it on your next dive…