By ODA Hawai’i Island Chapter Leader Sarah Milisen

Keauhou Bay is a busy little harbor. Manta viewing operations, large snorkel charters, private boat launches, and shoreline access near the Canoe Club means lots of people in the water... and we know what that means: debris! 

Keauhou Canoe Club's Membership Secretary Stacey Wood contacted me a couple months ago asking for a cleanup partnership with Ocean Defenders Alliance ODA. As I was going to be gone a month, I pushed our cleanup back to October, and we settled on October 21 for our first partnered cleanup event! She went FULL FORCE into this event, poured her heart out, and man, it showed! We had over 40 volunteers from her emailing, promoting and sharing of the event.

ODA's contributions brought about 20 topside and divers to add to the mix, and by October 21, at our 9am meet time, we had nearly 30 divers and 30 paddlers/topside volunteers ready to pitch in and work hard! Tanks were donated by Big Island Scuba Repair (Thanks Duke!) and Keauhou Canoe Club had out pop tents, tables, chairs, pupus, drinks, a wash station, and had rigged two canoes with a large platform between them to support large, recovered items for the cleanup! We were PREPARED! Even our Hawai'i Island Stream-to-Sea rep was there to offer free gear wash, defog, sting relief and sunscreen! Wowzers!

Stacey started with a brief thank you to the volunteers and facilities whereabouts, I briefed the divers and topside helpers, and we all jumped in for a solid hour of underwater cleanup! 

We had serious work to do underwater:

Divers recovered tires, chain, rubber mats, bottles, masks, snorkels, a cell phone, poles, and fishing line and lead throughout the bay. Topside beach cleaners recovered an old hammock, a rusty chair frame, lots and lots of food plastics, cans and bottles, and some clothes and a blanket. Solar light fixtures, a lobster trap, and lots and lots of rope were also recovered from underwater. Several lost fishing poles and dip nets were also found!  

After an hour the canoe "bodyguards" came in with their adopted dive teams, the large double-hull came back with the big heavy items, and divers ended their dive raving about how much stuff they found at the very end that they couldn't get. After roughly 700 pounds of debris we recovered... they're saying there's MORE? Yikes! I guess we will be setting up another cleanup soon! Keep on the lookout! 

THANK YOU to ALL of our volunteers that came to help out for this event!!! (And big shout out to Stacey for all the organizing and efforts to make our divers comfortable and successful today!!! And mahalo to Bo Pardau for your underwater photography skills in difficult conditions!)

Look at everyone and all that debris removed!

Volunteers on this momentous day were: Clifford Ahrens, Bill Armer, Dave Arrowsmith, Lisa Banguilan, Vernon Bierangel, Sandy Branch, Janet Brinkman, Juan Chacin, Mark Colville, Mark David, Kelly Eaton, Garth and Kerry Edwards, Nancy Galbraith, Trixi Gilroy, Dan Gordon, Claudia and Doug Graham, Bill and Lois Hodges, Rebecca Holloway, Kimberly Hughes, Rich and Suzanne Javinen, Kim Knur, Alan Larpthaveesarp, Christine Lawrence, Jeff and Julie Leonard, Kelly Logigian, Mike Malterre, Ben and Tallulah Mayer, Charon McClain, Amy Montanaro, John Moore, Alicia Morrier, Wayne Morris, Bo and Jamie Pardau, Erin Roberts, Laura Rogers, Mark Rowley, Preston Rudderow, Becky Safarik, Connie Sizemore, Todd Slepian, Erik Stockwell, Kim and Terry Strait, Laurel Trammell, Cheri Trimble, Melissa Wernersbach, Isaiah, Norma and Quentin Wong, AND Dee Wunschel!

That is a total of 59 people who care about the health of our oceans!!

Here's another look at this amazing group and their "Catch of the Day":

If you live on the Big Island, are inspired, and want to be included in these amazing efforts, please email us!