A team of tec divers on Utila undertake a difficult mission to protect a popular reef.

In early January 2013, the staff at Bay Islands Conservation Association discovered that a huge fishing net had drifted from the open sea onto Raggedy Cay, a popular dive site on Utila’s West End. It was between 100 and 150 feet of water, roughly the size of a volleyball court, and they were unable to lift it.

BICA got help from local tec divers, and the Utila Dive Center, a 100% Project AWARE partner. The next day, the team went out to determine how to remove it.

With the added aid from the staff at Parrots Dive Center and Bay Islands College of Diving, the rescue was executed by six teams of divers (two of them comprising tec divers). With divers stationed along the length of the net, each volunteer safely lifted a section, taking care to have minimal impact on the reef.

The mission was successful, and UDC now includes projects such as net recovery in its tec-training courses. “We’re passionate about protecting our environment, aka ‘our office,’” says Andy Phillips, director of professional training at UDC.

And they didn’t stop there. “We think we are helping to train a global network of dive professionals who can make a difference in other regions as they travel throughout their dive careers,” says Phillips. “We give a presentation in our PADI Instructor courses about the importance of partnering with Project AWARE. We integrate the University of Queensland’s CoralWatch program into our Divemaster course. We also have two marine biologists on staff who give regular talks.” UDC also issues a Project AWARE version of every PADI C-card it issues, and every month, UDC sponsors Project AWARE cleanups.

To find out how your dive operation can become a 100% Project AWARE partner, visit projectaware.org.

Being Green, Being AWARE

As a Project AWARE partner focused on ocean protection, Utila Dive Center also implemented several conservation measures for its business:
» Changed to energy-efficient bulbs
» Added a solar panel
» Installed a “treadle pump” at the dive center to save electricity and fresh water for sanitation systems
» Eliminated plastic plates and cups at the restaurant/bar
» Issued reuseable water bottles to all PADI IDC Instructor candidate