By ODA Dive Team Coordinator, Dive Master, and Advisory Board Member Gary Liebmann

This particular Friday was shaping up to be a regular day—until I got a call from our dive boat partner Island Divers Hawaii’s Captain Matt Negard.

About half a mile west of Keanu Reef in Maunalua Bay, his crew had spotted a massive ghost net drifting in the water. Knowing the dangers these abandoned nets pose to marine life, Matt didn’t hesitate. He quickly had his divers pull the tangled mess onto the boat and saved as many sea creatures as possible, carefully removing each one they found and returning it to the ocean. That same day, February 23^rd, Matt reached out to me to coordinate its removal.  

As soon as I got the call, I grabbed my gear and rounded up ODA volunteers Temple Liebmann and Chandler Bosch. We loaded up our tools and headed straight for the dock, making it there before the boat returned. We didn’t have to wait long. When Matt and his crew pulled in, we were ready.  

The net was a beast—heavy, tangled, and packed with marine debris. As we worked to dissect it, we found plenty of unintended victims caught in its grasp: crabs, frogfish, and even a few starfish.  

One by one, we carefully returned the remaining live ones to the ocean, making sure they had another shot at survival. Seeing the small frogfish safely swim away was a small but rewarding victory.  

By the time we had the net fully removed, we were looking at a haul of over 1,000 pounds. It completely filled the bed of a pickup truck.  

Looking at the tangled mess spread out on the deck, it was clear how dangerous these ghost nets are. They don’t just pollute the ocean—they continue to trap and kill marine life long after they’ve been lost or abandoned. 

This wasn’t the first ghost net we’ve removed, and it won’t be the last. But every time we take one out of the water, we’re making a difference, and that makes all the hard work worth it.

Huge thanks to Matt, his crew at Island Divers, and our ODA team for jumping into action. The ocean wildlife and their habitats are a little bit safer today because of it.

Your donation is what removes marine debris! Be part of getting these death nets out of the water!