Beneath the Surface

Keeping Our Waterways Clean and Alive

-
People love getting out on the water in Australia—it’s part of our culture. But we often forget that what we can’t see still matters. Under the waves, there’s an entire world that needs our care and respect. I’ve been diving the Gold Coast Seaway for a decade, and in that time, I’ve seen the marine life flourish. Schools of fish swirl through the current, rays glide silently across the sandy bottom, and the occasional Giant Queensland Grouper cruises past. It's an incredible place to dive or snorkel, and part of what makes it so special is how accessible it is. But one of the unfortunate realities of being such a busy inlet is the amount of rubbish that finds its way into the seaway. Whether it’s discarded accidentally or carelessly dumped, the results are the same: damage to delicate habitats, entanglement risks for wildlife, and a slow degradation of water quality.

Fishing line is by far the worst offender. The rocks along the seaway are a magnet for snagged gear—hooks, sinkers, even whole rigs—and it’s not just unsightly, it’s deadly. Marine life can become entangled, injured, or even killed by fishing line that gets left behind.

Recently, I teamed up with Sophie from Dive, Dive, Dive on the Gold Cost to film one of my regular cleanup dives, and in just one short session at the Seaway, we managed to fill a catch bag with an alarming variety of rubbish. Beer bottles, chip packets, metres of tangled fishing line, old sinkers, and even a kitchen tile were collected. You never know what you’ll find down there, but you always know it’s more than you'd like it to be.

.

What makes this growing problem particularly frustrating is how preventable it is. People just need to take a few seconds to think about their actions. Also, if you see rubbish, just pick it up, don’t ignore it. It might be annoying having to clean up after someone else but leaving it behind is worse.

Every month, I dedicate at least one day to an underwater clean-up dive, but you don’t need scuba gear to make a difference. A walk along the shoreline with a bag or bucket in hand can go a long way toward keeping our ocean clean. Every little bit helps. If everyone picked up just a few pieces of rubbish each time they visited the beach or the waterways, the collective impact would be massive.

Diving in the Gold Coast Seaway is a unique experience. The currents allow for effortless drift dives, while the rock walls, outlet pipes, and sandy bottom formations create endless variety for exploration—it’s a paradise for underwater adventurers. But paradise needs protecting. We want to make sure it’s kept like this for every generation that follows us, and we all have a role to play in this goal.

So next time you’re out by the water, whether you’re casting a line, diving beneath the waves, or just walking along the shore, take a moment to notice what’s around you—if it shouldn’t be there, pick it up and dispose of it correctly. Because when it comes to preserving the beauty of places like the Gold Coast Seaway, everyone is responsible and every action counts.