From marine biologists to beach cleaners, not a good step one might think. But that is what the young group of six year old budding marine biologists from San Anton Junior School did. As a follow up to last week`s experience on the shores of Gnejna Bay and in the laboratories at Institute of Environmental Science (I.E.S) they descended on White Tower Bay in Mellieha along with their peers, teachers and a group of divers this time armed with rubber gloves and garbage bags. Their aim was to pick up as much of the rubbish that accumulates on the beach. This is caused by the careless disposal of garbage by irresponsible individuals and helped by the strong winds and storms which blow the garbage around dropping it haphazardly all over the island and the surrounding sea.

Simultaneously a group of divers conducted an underwater clean up. This was done so that the children would also be able to see at first hand, the amount of rubbish that accumulates under water.

Groups of four children each accompanied by their teachers and members of the local diving community as well as two leading Scuba schools, spread all over the beach picking up every last bit of waste . This included some two hundred bottle tops, over fifty oil cans together with various bits and pieces from broken boat parts, fish farm debris to a scooter and some shoes.

It didn’t take too long to spot the rusty, old, public bench mangled on the rocks but it did take some brawn from two of the divers to carry it to the waiting skip kindly donated for the occasion by the management of a local Skip Company.

Excitement ran high as the youngsters found broken glass shards, bottles and rusty tins, objects they were not allowed to handle themselves. So one could hear the constant shouting for the adults to go and pick up any items classified as dangerous. The children stood on guard over their dangerous discovery until the group leader picked up the offensive item and disposed of it properly. Over one hundred bits of broken glass were picked up as well as ninety rusty cans. Most of the cans were beer cans leading to the youngsters coming to the conclusion that grown ups are a bigger cause of debris than children. One of the kids also commented that “when we children throw things on the floor it’s the grown ups fault for not telling us to put rubbish in the bin”.

Another student commented on the seriousness of all this plastic on the beach worried that the wind would blow the plastic bags in the sea which would endanger the turtles !

In the short time of just over an hour the bay was looking beautiful and the skip was close to overflowing. Some divers who had been in the sea all this time, picking up rubbish from the sea bed, were now on their way out sacks full of wet debris in their hands. The youngsters gathered close to the shore to look at the divers and all the stuff they had collected. They all wanted to lend a hand as car batteries and plenty of oil cans were brought to shore. Little hands all helping to carry the offending material to the skip whilst the adults handled the heavier items.

Smiles all round and satisfied faces now sat around in the sun to enjoy a well deserved healthy picnic snack and a cold drink happy in the knowledge that they had done a fabulous job and truly deserved the title of “heroes of the underwater world” This title was bestowed upon them by the activities sponsors “Padi Project Aware Kids” who gave the children certificates, badges and a colourful project book presented to them by Ms. Rita Vella from Diveshack who helped co-ordinate the activity.

One of the youngsters summed it all up with his comment “if the fish come to our bays and find them dirty they will go away and we will be left with empty seas”. Little does this young student realise how true this is as pollution helps diminish the fish stocks around our islands.

Ms Anna Degiorgio a grade three class teacher and the organiser of the event commented:” The children’s safety was my biggest concern, and had I not found the help of my friends and fellow divers, together with my colleagues from School I would not have done this activity” so it is with thanks to the divers, who did the important and fabulous job of cleaning the sea bed, and all who helped supervise the children ensuring their safety and well - being as well as further explaining to them the importance of keeping the beaches clean.