The telephone started ringing of the hook the night before our Snapper Island Clean Up was to take place, this was mainly due to the 30 knot winds blowing and volunteers concerned about the boat ride out to Snapper the next day! But we had been checking the forecast regularly and the winds were meant to drop….and drop they did! What a beautiful day out on Snapper Island today!
64 volunteers helped circumnavigate the island to remove marine debris that had been left by campers and washed up by ocean swells. And as the bags came in we recorded another record haul of debris from the island!
4219 individual items, 531kg filling 35 bags in just 3hrs! Most common items were 797 bits of polystyrene foam (including many pieces from the Bureau of Meteorology’s weather balloons), 667 bits of broken glass, 502 broken bits of hard plastic, 264 lids, 215 plastic drink bottles & 213m of rope! We also removed a deflated dingy, a Christmas tree decoration, a PVC swim station and hard hat!
A big thank you to all the volunteers who participated and we would also like to thank The Gambling Community Benefit Fund, The Port Douglas Coast Guard, Calypso Reef Cruises, Windswell, OutnAbout Sport Fishing, Poseidon Outer Reef Cruises, Coles Port Douglas and Cairns Regional Council for their support!
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