Miss Scuba contestants clean up ocean, beach

KOTA KINABALU (Nov 26): The 18 contestants of the Miss Scuba International pageant learned the importance of protecting the environment, made some dives to clean up the underwater world and the beach in an effort to better protect the oceans at the the Mabul Water Bungalows Resort.

PADI Asia Pacific Regional Manager, Mark Hedgers, conducted the Dive Against Debris course, which aims to raise awareness about the impact of ocean pollution, particularly plastic waste on marine life and ecosystems, for the contestants.

It collects valuable data for further conservation efforts. Liyana Izwin Khalid from Marine Research Foundation (MRF) shared essential facts about sea turtles and discussed the use of turtle exclusion devices to reduce accidental bycatch to minimize the harm to sea turtles.

After the theory class, the contestants donned their scuba dive gear and headed to the artificial reefs to collect marine debris, using the sponsored Scubapro bags. Upon seeing the discarded trash on the coral reefs, Indonesian contestant, Befalia Aisarahmadani, felt conflicted. She believes that human activity is closely linked to the ocean and divers should engage more in the fight against marine litter.

UK contestant, Jessica Higgins, brought an underwater camera to document the process of combating ocean pollution. She hopes that by sharing the video, she can raise more public awareness and attention on the issue of marine litter.

During sunset, the contestants put on reusable gloves and headed to the beach to collect trash. Their “haul” included plastic food wrappers, aluminum cans, diapers and broken fishing nets.

Papua New Guinea contestant, Yvonne Wong, who is also a marine scientist shared that she used her expertise to identify different types of debris and understand their potential impact on marine ecosystems. Chinese contestant, Zhang Rui, was surprised to see so much litter, on what is a seemingly pristine beach, as a lot of it is buried under sand. “There is so much more we can do for the ocean,” she says.

The Miss Scuba International is a beauty pageant that combines fashion, women empowerment and environmental issues. The grand finals will be held on November 30 at the Port View Palace, Hakka Hall in Kota Kinabalu.