By Volunteer and ODA Advisory Board Member Marjorie Zensen

Usually when I write about our at-sea cleanup expeditions, I focus on how much debris we pull from the ocean.

It is an Ocean Defenders Alliance (ODA) standard procedure, that after every cleanup event, the crew measure  and weigh it so that we have numbers to report back to you with. We want to show you how hard we are working! But often times those numbers, the hard work, fills me with a heaviness. It is never enough. We go back to the same place over and over only to find more fishing line, weights, and more trash. 

But not today! Today I am happy, excited, relieved, and encouraged! Today a mighty group of 6 divers and our energetic captain, Sarah Milisen set out to sea! The group of divers was made up of three Gallaghers, Bonnie, John and young Henry along with my guys, my husband Mark England, my son Gavin Phillips, and me. 

We scoured the surface of the ocean looking for floating  post-storm debris only to find little trinkets including a child’s croc! But what made me really happy was when we jumped off of the Makua into the ocean. Visibility was good and the fish life! Wow! So instead of photos of the ghost gear, I’m going to share pictures of the beautiful underwater life we saw.

There was healthy coral everywhere, eels, a turtle, a spotted eagle ray and fish of all kinds, too many to mention.  Not having been to this site previously I didn’t realize that once upon a time, it wasn’t flourishing! So let me have Sarah tell you a little about what it used to look like, not so long ago.

Spotted eagle ray

Report from Sarah: Sand Chute, AKA Tako City, on the northern side of Keahole Point was one of our first adopted ODA cleanup sites – we were transported to the site by our dive boat partner Kona Honu Divers. We've performed underwater cleanups there a dozen times in the last 4 years. Sometimes with 6 divers, sometimes with 18. Back when we first got to work, our bags came back full of lures, lead, and encrusted (and fresh) line.

Green sea turtle

Line and lures and lead 4-prong anchors were draped across a specific section of the reef. I swore it had to be like 3 fishers – all the same lures and lines and jigs. Same casting spot. So, hitting that site with 18 divers in a narrow area made quick work of the cleanups – and we have deemed that place "clean" and at maintenance levels for the last year or so – but each time we go back, we find a few new pieces or a shallow bundle of line, a light up bobber, etc. but today – pristine.

Coronet fish

The turtles seemed to be at ease, the fish free and unconcerned, and that might be the best feeling ever, of knowing this place is in SUCH better condition, thanks to our ODA volunteers and partners. 

So today for your viewing pleasure, we show you a photo of a few small pieces of trash! Yay! Guess what? It works!  Cleaning up debris in the ocean CAN lead to a healthy ocean! I am here to share these happy words! 

Thank you from the bottom of my happy heart for all that you do to support our shared mission of clean oceans! Let’s keep it going!

Check out our Hawai'i Page -- you can learn about all the sites and boats we have there, and at the bottom of the page, there's a list of field reports, so you can see the other cleanups of Sand Chute / Tako City!