By Cat Meyer
Throughout June, the waters of Dahab were home to something special. As part of the global SSI Blue Ocean Cleanup Challenge, an incredible mix of divers, locals, and ocean lovers met up every Saturday morning at Scuba Seekers before heading over to Dahab’s iconic Lagoona to tackle ocean waste head-on.
A Month-Long Commitment to the Red Sea
One-off cleanups are great, but showing up week after week is where real change happens. Across four consecutive Saturdays, our local diving community turned pure enthusiasm into serious results:
- Location: Lagoona, Dahab
- The Crew: 63 divers in total—ranging from Open Water divers to seasoned instructors
- The Haul: 250 kg of trash hauled off the seabed and sandy flats
- Focus Areas: Shallow seagrass beds, entry points around the lagoon, and high-traffic shoreline spots
“Every Saturday morning, seeing a team gear up with reused flour sacks instead of camera rigs really showed what the Dahab diving community is all about. Protecting these reefs isn’t just a catchy phrase for us—it’s our weekly routine.”
What Did We Pull from the Depths?
Unsurprisingly, single-use plastic bottles, lost fishing line, plastic bags, and upholstery stuffing made up the bulk of what we found. But as anyone who’s ever done a reef cleanup knows, the ocean floor always holds a few surprises.
The “Weirdest Finds” Hall of Fame
While standard plastics accounted for most of the 250 kg payload, the top prize for the oddest find went to a sealed, intact, stick-on tattoo!
A few other honourable mentions:
- A pair of reading glasses (still wearable after a good wash)
- A set of house keys
- A variety of hair clips
The Big Picture: SSI Blue Oceans
By logging everything we collected and sending it to the Blue Oceans team, we made sure our local efforts fed into a global mission. The data collected helps researchers track pollution trends and push for better waste management in coastal communities worldwide.
After each dive, everyone rallied together to sort, weigh, and properly dispose of the refuse with local recycling partners.
Keeping the Momentum Going
June’s initiative may be over, but looking after our reefs is a 365-day job. Whenever you dive or snorkel in Dahab, carrying a small mesh bag and leaving your dive site a little cleaner than you found it makes a world of difference.
Want to get involved? Join us every Monday at 10:00 AM for our weekly cleanup dive at our house reef, Mashraba. It’s completely free to join (you only pay a small rental fee if you need gear). Grab a bag, jump in, and help us keep Dahab’s waters beautiful!
Cat qualified as an Open Water Diver in Dahab in 2002 and became an instructor in 2017. Over seven years as a part-time dive professional at London’s largest dive centre, she issued over 1,000 certifications and mentored 13 Divemaster candidates—some of whom are now Staff Instructors. She also spent two years as a weekend dive guide at Cape Town’s Two Oceans Aquarium, guiding guests through the three exhibits.
Alongside her diving career, Cat brings over 24 years of experience in the UK’s high-end construction industry and has managed the UK’s largest scuba diving retail store. She has dived all over the world, with favourite destinations including Bonaire in the Dutch Antilles, Mafia Island in Tanzania, and Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel.
Cat works as a consultant for Scuba Seekers. She has revamped the onsite dive shop and online store, oversees all liveaboard bookings, and collaborates with the marketing team to keep Scuba Seekers at the forefront of social media.
You can follow her on Instagram: @therealscubacat275