Divers collected almost 5,000 pounds of trash from the bottom of Avalon Harbor last weekend during the 35th Annual Avalon Harbor Underwater Cleanup, according to Jill A. Boivin, a spokesperson for the cleanup. The event drew 343 participants, 317 of them divers, and raised $4,519. The money will benefit USC’s Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber and the Wrigley Institute Scientific Diving Program.
The Underwater Cleanup is the only time diving is allowed in the Avalon Harbor.
Divers collected almost 5,000 pounds of trash from the bottom of Avalon Harbor last weekend during the 35th Annual Avalon Harbor Underwater Cleanup, according to Jill A. Boivin, a spokesperson for the cleanup. The event drew 343 participants, 317 of them divers, and raised $4,519. The money will benefit USC’s Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber and the Wrigley Institute Scientific Diving Program.
The Underwater Cleanup is the only time diving is allowed in the Avalon Harbor.
As always, divers won awards for some of the more unusual trash that they brought ashore. According to Boivin, the awards included:
• Clothing: Johnny Haire found a “Dorky" Fur hat with Paws.
• Electrical: Eric Mabry found a TV remote, something not usually found in the harbor waters.
• Funniest: An unknown diver found handheld VHF radio bearing the label Harbor Patrol. Bob Kennedy (a former Avalon mayor) will take the radio and the trash award plaque to the harbor master to hang in City Hall as a reminder of harbor budget needs.
• Furniture/Household: A Bug Zapper, found by Darryle Abbott.
• Kitchen Related: Lynsey and Quentin Scott Boatman got married last year and came to their first U/W cleanup. For their first anniversary, they returned to the Underwater Cleanup and found a champagne brunch—not only the eggs but the champagne glass to go along with it.
• Bizarre: A three legged Eyeball with adjustable legs), found by Sharon Wallin
• Miscellaneous: Samantha Assad found a Scuba Action Figure! Found by
• Valuable: Randy Gabler found a Rolex watch—still ticking!
• Worthless: Kerry Long found an 8 track tape
• Beautiful: Cleanup organizers had to create a special category for this item, as it was the most beautiful thing to come out of the water in a long time: Phil Darling found a large square Chinese teapot with gold accents; the paint colors were still bright and shiny in spite of the marine growth.
• Most Spirited Dive Team: This year’s award goes to the Bray family—Harbor Master Brian Bray and the family’s young son Corbin Bray. Corbin swam around all the divers while wearing a chest strap with a shark fin on his back. Brian, Corbin (and family) Bray
• The Ken Kurtis Siver Tongued Devil BS Award—“I’m Being Framed!”—won by Lynne Hagen for her story of finding a doll (girl) swimming in the water to get away after being accused of a murder. The props of a female doll and a worm-eaten wooden frame completed the picture.
• Golden Flipper Award: This award goes to a person or group that has dedicated time and years to working with the Underwater Cleanup. This year’s recipient was Ted Sharshan, who has worked with the cleanup for 16 years.
• The Jon Hardy Award: Given to a person/group promoting diving safety and/or diving especially in Southern California and Catalina. R. Buck, this year’s recipient, has been diving since 1984. He has a club, Barnacle Busters, to continue his tradition of diving and bringing diver’s to Catalina.
The 36th Annual Avalon Harbor Underwater Cleanup is scheduled to be held Feb. 25, 2017.
