By Oahu Volunteer Coordinator and Advisory Board Member Temple Liebmann

Ocean Defenders Alliance (ODA) chartered a boat from our partner Island Divers on September 7^th for what became an unforgettable day out on the water.  The day’s goal: to check three of our adopted sites to evaluate which ones needed debris removed.

Our cleanup activities started sooner than usual, as on our way out, we took a quick diversion in the bay to grab a drifting (lost) buoy we spotted.

A Rough Start

From the moment we left the harbor, Captain Matt Negaard let us know that conditions weren’t going to cut us any slack. Big waves were pounding against the cliffs, and every site we checked—Spitting Caves, the Sea Cave, and Fish Camp—looked dicey. The swell made it too dangerous to get close to the cliffs where a lot of debris usually collects. Still, our crew wasn’t about to head home empty-handed.

Spitting Caves

Settling In at Spitting Caves

After a lot of back-and-forth, we finally settled on Spitting Caves. Even there, the surge kept us on edge, but our divers pushed through. 

From topside, I watched the whitewater crash over the rock faces as our team carefully worked the reef below.

By the time everyone climbed back aboard, we had pulled up about 1,000 yards of fishing line and 20 pounds of lead.

Just holding that pile in my hands was a reminder of why we do this—the amount of marine life spared from entanglement made every minute in those conditions worth it.

Any divers who get back on the boat before the buckets of debris come up, will stay on the stern and help hoist the collected fishing equipment and other trash aboard the boat for proper removal.

Surprises on the Surface

A job well done, or so we thought. But not long after we headed back towards home, we caught sight of a huge object floating offshore. At first, it looked like marine debris—something massive that we might need to tow in. When we got closer, though, we put a couple of divers in the water to check it out and discovered it wasn’t trash at all, but a research buoy. Sure enough, later that day a large research vessel came by to collect it. Just goes to show, not everything floating out there is ours to claim.

The Crew That Made It Happen

This trip wouldn’t have been possible without our incredible team. Gary Liebmann, as always, was our fearless dive leader, while I stuck to my topside role with the camera. Crystal Gray worked her magic underwater, capturing photos of the action.

Eduardo Abreau, Chandler Bosc, Bill Metzler, Dan Okamura, Kai Ritter, Ed Sisino, and Bailey Young all gave it their all in the water. Elena Dobrica, nursing an injury, trained on crew functions instead of diving—which is just as important on a day like this. And we were joined by Robert Duran, a new diver visiting from the mainland who jumped right in to help give back to Hawai’i’s reefs.

Looking Back on the Day

By the time we tied up back at the dock, I was salty, happy, and more than a little tired. But I couldn’t help smiling. We faced tough conditions, but we still made a difference. The fishing line and lead we removed won’t be out there tangling turtles or damaging coral anymore. And the shared effort—the teamwork on deck and under the waves—is what really sticks with me.

Days like this remind me that protecting the ocean isn’t about waiting for perfect conditions. It’s about showing up, doing what we can, and trusting that even small wins add up to something huge for our marine life.

Please help keep our crews at sea removing this hazardous ghost gear!