Eco-Diving
Posted by W2GDiving For The Environment
By: Jacque
June 29, 2008
12:16 pm, the first of the more than thirty divers hit the waters of Grand Traverse (West) Bay in Traverse City, Michigan. Minutes before, the divers were gathering in the parking lot of SCUBA North, a local dive shop. From there, the divers were shuttled across a busy highway in a black and grey Chevrolet Suburban, with gear in a trailer a-tow, to the beach-side dive site. What brings these divers out?
On June 6, 2008, the Grand Traverse Bay received designation as the twelfth underwater preserve in the state; Grand Traverse Bay Unerwater Preserve (GTBUP). According to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), the preserve includes approximately 295 square miles. There are several known shipwrecks in the preserve including, John Thursby, A.J. Rogers, Lauren Castle, two modern sailboats and commercial fishing boats. In addition, there may be up to nineteen other vessels in the preserve with historical significance.
“Coastal wetlands are an important feature of the … preserve that provides significant water quality and aquatic habitat functions in the shallow shoreline areas.” Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
The divers were in the bay on a “scavenger hunt” for golf balls, placed in a small portion of the bay by event coordinators. At an event picnic later in the day, prizes will given away, raffle style, according to a number written on each of the balls. At registration, the quantity of balls the participants want to dive for are purchased for a reasonable fee. The proceeds for the event are then donated to the Grand Traverse Bay Underwater Preserve.
“To sustain an Underwater Preserve by enhancing education, research and preservation of our Great Lakes and maritime heritage, and by the promotion of tourism and public recreation.” Mission Statement of GTBUP
This is not the first time that divers in this community have gathered together in an attempt to protect the environment. According to Bob Thorpe of SCUBA North, there is a twenty year tradition of diving events, in the Traverse City area, that have raised money for nonprofit organizations. Beyond raising money, the SCUBA comminuty here pitches in on a regular basis to clean up the area water. The day prior to the fundraising event, a group of divers cleaned up garbage from the bay floor.
“The SCUBA community is more concerned, I would think, about the (equatic) environment. It is what they are here to see.” Bob Thorpe
I find it facenating that these scuba divers are working to promote a healthy aquatic environment as I’m sure many divers are like that, we just never see them until they get out.
Now I have heard that Florida is promoting artificial reefing to promote the marine/aquatic diversity and promote more scuba opportunities. This also gets rid of all those ugly ships sitting idle, wasting away. Maybe scuba divers in Travers City can help get rid of these ships and bring moe dive opportunities in the Great Lakes. One can only hope.
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