 April 2007 Printer-Friendly Avalon Harbor Cleanup a Huge Success Organizers of the 26th Annual Avalon Underwater Cleanup are describing this year’s event as “a huge success.” Over 500 divers and volunteers assisted in cleaning the bottom of Avalon Harbor on February 24. This is the only time during the year that the ordinary sport diver is allowed to descend into the bay. Although the harbor is clean by most harbor standards, during the year a variety of both oddball and common items are either tossed into or accidentally dropped into the bay. With excellent water clarity (at least at the beginning of the event) large amounts of trash were recovered. Some of the more unusual items found this year included chamber pot recovered by Bruce Arneim, a toy fireman’s helmet found by Dan Lynch and the winner of the “Sporting Goods” award, a skateboard pulled from the drink by Will Lemley. Among the hundreds of pounds of bottles, cans and other garbage, valuables are always found. Diver Ken Watson took home the award for Most Valuable find with the recovery of a Rolex watch. He also took home the watch. But the most coveted award is the Ken Kurtis Silver Tongued Devil Award presented for the most elaborate and funny yarn spun around a found piece of trash. This year’s recipient was Tim Fitzhugh with his tale about a doctor performing “do it yourself prostate surgery” using a boat hook he had found in Avalon Bay. The award is an authentic piece of petrified buffalo dung attached to a wooden plaque (the award is also affectionately known as the “B.S. Award.”) For tireless service to the Catalina Island diving community, Jill Boivin received the Golden Flipper Award. The cleanup dive occurs every year in February and benefits the Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber, a non-profit recompression chamber operating 24/7, and the Catalina Conservancy Divers environmental organization. © Copyright 2007, all rights reserve, by Saint Brendan Corporation, P.O. Box 11231, Torrance CA 90510, mail@cadivingnews.com. No part of this may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system/website, or transmitted in any form by any means without prior written permission of the publisher. IMPORTANT NOTICE: The contents of this publication/website are opinions of the individual writers. The publishers of California Diving News and its contributors assume no responsibility for any mishap claimed to be a result of use of this material. Diving is an adventure sport and with it comes inherent risks. Improper use of diving equipment or improper diving techniques may result in serious injury or, in extreme circumstances, death. Readers are admonished to use their own best judgement in each individual situation. |
