By Founder and President Kurt Lieber
Recently, while on the Big Island of Hawai’i, I met with Teri Leicher. She and her husband Jeff are the owners and managing partners of Jack’s Diving Locker. Their son, Kawika, works with them as a boat captain and dive instructor.
A Dive Company That Stewards the Ocean
Over the last 20 years or so, every time I have visited the Big Island of “Hawai’i” I have gone SCUBA diving with Jack’s Diving Locker, and my experiences were always excellent.
Therefore, as ODA expands its marine debris removal work to the Big Island, Jack’s Diving Locker was naturally the first dive outfit I thought of to work with ODA expeditions.
I had a great meeting with Teri. We talked about the ongoing, pervasive issue of marine debris.
She not only agrees that it is a big problem, but Jack’s Dive Locker has been pulling up manmade debris themselves for quite a while. When they see something on or under the water, they do their best to remove it. Their paying customers enjoy helping with this, too!
Check out this photo of some nylon net that Jack’s Dive Locker staff picked up the day before our meeting. If they hadn’t removed it, it would be in the ocean for 650 years killing ocean life indiscriminately.
I am very pleased that she has committed to making one of the boats from Jack’s Dive Locker available (at a discounted cost) for once-a-month ODA cleanups into the future. See what happens when committed people put their heads together!
SCUBA Outing with Jack’s Diving Locker
To sort of “seal the deal,” the day after we met I jumped at the opportunity to go for a dive on Jack’s Diving Locker boat, the Diver Two.
Kawika was the boat captain for our outing. He and I discussed areas near Kailua/Kona that could use ODA’s expertise for underwater cleanups.I wish I had taken a photo of Kawika, but we were having such a great time, I didn't think of it, so I will borrow this image from Jack's website. ;)
The two dives Kawika took me on were beautiful sites, and served as a colorful eye-filling reminder of how important it is that we protect our precious oceans.
We’re both looking forward to our organizations’ alliance for debris-free Big Island seas!
The ODA Alliance Expands
Ocean Defenders Alliance Hawai’i is growing stronger every day.
We’re confident that together with Jack’s Dive Locker and our other fantastic partners (more to tell you about soon…stay tuned!) and volunteers, we will remove a lot of deadly ghost gear and debris from the coastal waters of the Big Island…and other islands!
If you are interesting in joining the boat or dive crew, please fill out our Crew Application.