Sometimes you find the strangest things in the ocean.
Over the weekend, divers and volunteers, who took part in a one-day gotong royong to clean up the reefs at Pulau Mabul, reportedly filled up 250 bags of rubbish.
Among their most shocking finds are two washing machines.
Umm, what?
According to The Star Online, the rubbish – mainly made up of plastic waste – was collected from around the shoreline of the island, under stilt houses as well as in the water in an effort to protect the fragile coral reefs at Pulau Mabul, a popular diving destination off the coast of Semporna.
Scuba Junkie environmental officer David McCann, who organised the clean-up event, told the news portal that rubbish was a major problem worldwide.
“We are fortunate in Mabul to have a dedicated group of individuals willing to do something to make a difference and we have the government support to do so,” he was quoted as saying.
The reefs in the Semporna region, according to David, are known to be some of the most beautiful and diverse in the world.
Therefore, it is important to clean up the beaches as well as the reefs to help prevent deterioration, added David.
The gotong royong, which was held on Sunday, was sponsored by the Tourism and Culture Ministry as part of their One Malaysia Green, 1 Malaysia Clean programme.
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