Students from ISC, recently had the opportunity to participate in one of Mermaid Dive Center’s International Beach Clean Up days on Koh Sak. They are held 3 times a year with students and staff from local and Bangkok international schools. Other community members and friends of Mermaids also join the event.
Boats left from Bali Hai Pier after registration, and delicious egg and bacon rolls back at Mermaids. At the island, students were shuttled by speed boat to the beach. With gloves on, bags in hand and mindful of instructions, the children set off. Shouts of, “Glass!” echoed around the beach so we knew that the instructions were being followed. The weather only allowed us an hour. However, in that time, over 270 kg of rubbish was collected from the sea and beach!
After a very satisfying lunch back on board, it was time for snorkeling. As the tide was coming in, the children got to see the amount of rubbish thrown off boats that was heading for our clean beach. Snorkelers grabbed up what they could.
Throughout the day, Mermaids staff impressed everyone with their focus on safety and the environment. Our children went home, eager to go on the next beach cleanup. Most importantly, they understood that many people, joining together, can make a difference and that individually they have a role to play.
