Leigh Wharf Cleanup 2024

On Sunday 5th may we headed to Leigh for the Goat Island Dive and Snorkel wharf cleanup.

The morning kicked off with everyone meeting at the Leigh Wharf at around 10.30am. The crew of Goat Island Dive and Snorkel had been busy and had a few gazebo's up and were helping to get the BBQ set up, Leigh Preschool had a sausage sizzle for people to enjoy after the dive on this lovely autumns day.
Lots of prizes were up for grabs and a huge amount of rubbish taken out of the ocean.
Goat Island Dive and Snorkel ran the day, and have an initiative that aims to gather volunteers from the local community to clean up coastal areas and underwater environments in and around Leigh wharf/harbour.
By removing debris and waste, we can all protect marine life and ecosystems while raising awareness about the importance of sustainable practices for our planet’s health.

An amazing turn out of people with 27 scuba divers, 15 snorkellers and lots of people on land to lend a hand. On shore there was a dingy some street signs, and even a flattened rat!At around 11.15am all divers headed to the wharf ready with catch bags in hand to haul out the treasures of the deep.
Large tires, golf balls, gumboots, fishing rods and line were all brought back to shore and handed up to people collecting on the wharf, I found an oven directly under the wharf and even with a lift bag I needed help getting it back to shore, there was so much silt that had built up inside it as well as a friendly octopus that had made itself at home inside.

The visibility wasn't the best unfortunately, but we we still able to locate so much rubbish.

There were several different groups of helpers on shore on paddleboards, snorkeling and on boats to bring rubbish back to be cleaned, sorted and separated into categories for recycling if it could be recycled.

Thanks to all the sponsors for the amazing prizes. Fiona and I picked up a few for farthest traveled (450km round trip) and largest rubbish (Fiona found a street sign). Social media star (me for sharing and posting lots about the event) and weirdest piece of rubbish for an oven I found under the Wharf.

A warm thank you to Less Waste - Warkworth & Wellsford for providing bins and helping to get rid of all the rubbish in the most responsible way possible! A huge thank you to MARES - just add water and SSI / Blue Oceans for some epic prizes and reusable collection bags
The whole community for getting behind the event and helping make it an enjoyable day, you all deserve a big applause!
Overall we gathered over 2 big caged trailers worth of rubbish and the wharf and Moana is now in a much better state.
And a Big thank you to all the other sponsors
Glass bottom boat Leigh
Sculptureum
Clearyak - Clear Kayak Hire NZ
Leigh Preschool
Marine Deals
Ti-Point Reptile Park
New World Warkworth
Whangateau Holiday Park
Leigh Eats and the Sawmill Brewery.

Thanks to all the staff and volunteers for a fantastic event that was very well run. I will see you again next year.