Da Nang Diving enthusiasts gather in groups, hone their skills and go down to the sea to pick up trash and rescue coral.
At 5:30 every morning, members of the freediving class text each other in a group chat, urging each other to go to Hon Sup beach, where there is a rocky outcrop jutting out of the sea, located between Bai But and the boat anchorage bay of Son Tra peninsula. They bring masks, air hoses, fins... to practice diving.
Da Nang free diving group joins in picking up trash to rescue coral. Video: Nguyen Dong
After a few minutes of warming up, the group practiced breathing skills, how to use the air hose, release pressure from the ears when going deep into the water, and then went into the water to practice together. The instructor was Mr. Dao Dang Cong Trung (44 years old), who has an Unlimited Depth Scuba Diving Certificate issued by the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI).
Nguyen Thi Tra My (27 years old), a Vietnamese triathlete participating in the 31st SEA Games, said that this summer, after watching Trung's clip shared on Facebook about coral reefs and the work of picking up trash under the sea, she connected to learn more about proper and safe diving methods.
Even though she is a swimmer, when diving into deep water, Tra My still feels scared due to water pressure, ringing in her ears, eye pain. "After many dives with Trung, I improved and encouraged him to open diving classes so that young people can quickly access this popular sport," Tra My said.
Members of the Danang Freediving group dive to pick up trash at Nam beach, Son Tra peninsula. Photo: Nguyen Dong
Students who want to join the course must be able to swim over 200m in the ocean to ensure safety. At the end of the one-month diving course, students will master the skills of long breathing, pressurization at different depths, and can dive at an average depth of 5m. Those with PADI certificates like Mr. Dao Dang Cong Trung can free dive at a depth of 10-15m.
This summer, there were two classes with 80 students completing the course. Trung and Tra My together came up with the idea of establishing the Danang Freediving group with the desire to teach more people how to dive, how to swim and spread the love for the marine environment. In a short time, the group had more than 1,200 participants.
In mid-August, more than 40 members of the Danang Freediving group went together to Nam Beach at the foot of Son Tra Peninsula to pick up trash on coral reefs. The youngest member, Tran Bang Bang, 11 years old, dived above the water to observe where there was a lot of trash, while the others dived to a depth of 5-10m to pick up trash.
Whenever ghost nets (torn nets stuck to coral reefs) are discovered, a group of 4-5 people take turns diving down, carefully using knives to cut each strand of net so as not to affect the coral reefs, which only grow 1 cm per year.
A member of the Danang Freediving group cuts a ghost net caught on a coral reef. Photo: Nguyen Dong
After two hours, they brought more than 200 kg of waste ashore. Ms. Rally Lee (Korean, working in Da Nang for 7 years) said she was very sad to see many species of coral dead at the bottom of the sea due to pollution or people accidentally trampling on them.
"I want to protect coral with the people of Da Nang," she said, adding that she will continue to go to the sea to pick up trash.
Mr. Dao Dang Cong Trung smiled with satisfaction. For the past ten years, he has been quietly protecting coral reefs by picking up trash and cutting ghost nets. But each dive only brings about 20 kg of bottles, cans, and nets to shore.
"To make the ocean cleaner, we need more volunteer divers to pick up trash. Fortunately, many people support the idea of learning to dive to go down to the ocean to cut ghost nets to "untie" the coral. In the future, the ocean environment will definitely be cleaner," said Mr. Trung.
Tra My said that each time she dives into the sea is like going on a "backpacking trip", she can explore a new world in the ocean. "It would be more meaningful if everyone works together to protect and preserve the marine environment," she said.
Mr. Dao Dang Cong Trung, founding member of the free diving group in Da Nang, with the "spoils of war" of waste just brought up from the sea. Photo: Nguyen Dong
Trung and Tra My believe that learning to dive is not difficult, but students need to equip themselves with knowledge of the marine environment. For example, there are species that live symbiotically in the coral ecosystem that are very poisonous and dangerous, and cannot be touched.
Ms. Duong Thi Xuan Lieu, Head of Son Tra Tourism Management and Exploitation Department (Management Board of Son Tra Peninsula and Da Nang Tourist Beaches), said that the city is starting to have many free divers, gathering into a group like Danang Freediving to join hands to protect the marine environment, which is something to be appreciated.
"This is a very meaningful activity, contributing to the protection and conservation of coral in Son Tra peninsula," said Ms. Lieu, adding that in the near future the management board will launch and maintain other teams to clean the sea together.
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