Taking a dip to clean up the ocean
Our little country is known for its beautiful beaches and coastline, however our marine life is at risk with litter dumped in our waters.
On September 7, divers braved the chilly waters of the Waitemata Harbour to clean up rubbish off the ocean floor.
Kelly Tarlton’s divers submerged at Okahu Bay and hauled a decent catch of plastic, household junk, fishing line and even a push scooter onto the jetty.
‘‘It really is an eye-opener to the amount of rubbish in our local coastlines and waterways, imagine what this is doing to our marine life,’’ diver Jo Woolcott says.
The ocean dive was part of Conservation Week which aims to raise awareness about why it’s important to keep New Zealand’s coastlines clean.
Kelly Tarlton’s curator AJ Christie says marine debris can have disastrous effects on marine life.
‘‘This year alone, five turtles have washed up on New Zealand beaches injured or sick,’’ he says.
‘‘In many cases the turtle has ingested plastic - something that could be prevented.’’
Waste is adding pressure to the marine environment, with large amounts of pollution carried along waterways and then washed out to sea.
On September 17, there will be a beach clean up day at Okahu Bay from 10am till 12pm.