To mark this year’s World Environment Day and World Ocean Day, we ran a Reef Check Survey and a clean-up dive along the UAE’s east coast.
We had a fantastic day out on the water with @diversdownuae in Khorfakkan for a Reef Check survey at Shark Island done by 6 EDA certified Reef Checkers: @ali_salman_dxb, Matthew B. Nobles, Damien Basa, @smithiebee, Tony Sidgwick, and @allylandesphotography; and Om Kishan Manoj was able to do his practical exam, led by our Reef Check Trainer, @rsmdxb.
Congratulations to Om for successfully passing all 3 requisites for Fish, Invertebrates and Substrates. He is now officially Reef Check Certified!
Our second dive was at Hole-in-the-Wall to enjoy the beautiful coral garden and do a clean-up sweep if we crossed paths with any unwanted debris. Surprisingly, we picked up a fair amount, including: an aerosol can, a 4L paint bucket, 4 beverage cans, a Tabasco bottle, 3 plastic bottles, a construction pipe, a black plastic bin liner wrapped around coral, and 2 old fishing cement weights with rope ties. We also made a note of finding 2 crown-of-thorn sea stars amongst our observations.
Our trip coincided with World Sea Turtle Day the following day, so we kept a look out for any sightings. Ali and Matthew were lucky to spot one swim past, but the rest of us came upon the remains of a very large Green turtle’s carapace amongst the shallows now providing nutrients for some of the smaller reef fish scavengers.
These trips of purpose remain so meaningful to our members now that they have a better understanding of our underwater world after having done their Reef Check course. We are constantly learning after each and every dive!
