The University of Barcelona’s Club d’Immersió Biologia (CIB) was established in 1983 with the aim of promoting respectful diving, protecting the environment and raising awareness about marine biology using all the available resources. To achieve this goal they organise a variety of projects, such as cleaning the sea floor at some Mediterranean beaches. For 10 years now, the cleaning of Tamariu beach has been a scheduled commitment for CIB members, and the number of volunteers continues to grow. The CIB and the association of friends and neighbours of Tamariu lead this project, with support from the Stollis scuba diving centre and the University of Tübingen.

At 9 a.m., the volunteers organise themselves into three work teams: scuba divers, snorkelers and the outside team. The scuba divers are in charge of cleaning the sea floor with gloves and special nets; the snorkelers do the same with the waste on the surface; and the outside team walk along the beach and the surrounding area to collect cigarette butts, cans, bottles and any other waste that may be lying around.

To attract the attention of beachgoers and passers-by, the collected waste is piled up for all to see. Furthermore, to create a real and direct impact on the public, an information point is set up which anyone walking by is welcome to approach.

All of the project’s participants are volunteers with a single objective: to look after and protect the biodiversity of the Mediterranean through small actions like this one. And despite the amount of waste that was found, Andreu has an optimistic message: “Just dive under the water for a moment and you will see the limitless life it contains.”