Dive Together Campaign

DIVE TOGETHER CAMPAIGN: KEEPING KHALIFA PORT CLEAN

BY KATHLEEN RUSSELL – MAHARA DIVING CENTER

Abu Dhabi Terminals organised another underwater clean-up with divers at Khalifa Port on the 3rd of November. This date was also the UAE’s National Flag Day and showing our pride for the UAE, we had 35 volunteers take part in the Khalifa Port underwater cleanup. The event was organised by Abu Dhabi Terminals in partnership with Abu Dhabi Ports Company and Al Mahara Diving Center, and supported by the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi, Emirates Diving Association, PADI AWARE Foundation, and the Abu Dhabi Female Diving Group.

The clean-up was conducted inside the container terminals along the terminal walls. The dedicated divers had to have deep diving and good navigational skills for this clean-up as they descended to the 19m of sandy/silty seabed. The divers were delighted to report the seabed was reasonably clean as they pulled up just over 35kg of marine debris of mainly single-use plastics within one hour. Statistically, there was an improvement in the amount of debris collected since the last underwater clean-up. The marine debris may have entered the water from the wind blowing the debris, or from the tidal movement in the open water. Some divers saw some marine life such as hammour and yellow bar angelfish along the container walls.

Committed local divers are helping to keep the UAE’s marine environment free of debris and contribute to the largest global underwater database in the world, PADI AWARE’s Dive Against Debris. To reduce marine debris by 50% in targeted countries by 2030, we need everyone working together at local, national and international levels to achieve the United Nations’ SDG#14 goals. As part of the global diving community, we need to combat marine debris. More than 250 million tons of plastic are estimated to make its way into our ocean by 2025. The environmental damage caused by plastic debris alone is estimated at US$13 billion a year. Divers are often at the frontline to witness human impacts on the marine environment and are uniquely positioned to help report, remove and advocate to stop marine debris at its source.

As the Emirate’s main container port operator, Abu Dhabi Terminals is committed to protect and preserve the ecological marine environment at Khalifa Port – not only for the employees, customers and stakeholders but also for future generations.

KATHLEEN RUSSELL | PADI Course Director/Starguard Elite Instructor Trainer | AL MAHARA DIVING CENTER | Tel: +971 56 535 8883 | www.divemahara.com