Dozens of Hobsons Bay locals have been doing a deep clean of a beloved underwater attraction.
A collaboration between marine protection organisation Protect What You Love, Snorkel and Dive Safari Altona Beach and the Jawbone Marine Sanctuary Care Group, the Clean Up The Crystals events have often involved more than 80 participants removing rubbish from the The Crystals reef just off the Williamstown Beach rockwall.
At a recent clean up event the combined efforts of snorkellers, scuba divers, and land-based volunteers resulted in almost 850 litres of rubbish being removed, filling two 420 litre bins – one with general waste and one with recycling.
The regular clean up events have also helped promote ongoing efforts to have The Crystals added to the nearby Jawbone Marine Sanctuary.
A petition calling for the Jawbone sanctuary to be expanded to protect The Crystals now has more than 5300 signatures.
To sign the petition, go to: https://www.change.org/p/protect-the-crystals-extend-jawbone-marine-sanctuary
Photos courtesy of marine photographer Dom Buyers.
