Marine Life & Conservation
Get ready for PADI’s fourth annual AWARE Week
PADI®and PADI AWARE Foundation™ have announced the fourth annual AWARE Week. Hosted by PADI Dive Centres, Resorts and Professionals around the world September 18-26, AWARE Week empowers and inspires the dive community to take part in events, activities and courses – virtual or in person – to advance conservation awareness and engagement at the local level.
“AWARE Week 2021 brings together eco-conscious divers and ocean enthusiasts to advance PADI’s conservation blueprint, charting a decade of ocean action to achieve a balance between humanity and ocean,” says Kristin Valette Wirth, Chief Brand and Membership Officer for PADI Worldwide. “By uniting as a community of PADI Torchbearers™ who explore and protect the ocean, we work as a global force for good taking meaningful action for the ocean to drive lasting change.”
The weeklong event leverages the collective influence of divers and dive industry professionals, as well as the general public, to address key threats facing the marine environment through citizen science, public policy and education. AWARE Week 2021 will take the organisations’ current programme to the next level and build on them by tackling additional marine conservation issues such as: climate change, marine protected areas and coral reefs. These new programmes, coupled with the flagship programme – that address marine debris and vulnerable marine species – represent the five key components of PADI’s Blueprint for Ocean Action, in direct support of the United Nations Decade of Science for Sustainable Development.
One of the key highlights is PADI AWARE Foundation’s flagship citizen-science programme, Dive Against Debris®, the only programme of its kind, which helps divers not only remove debris from the ocean but also report data that can inform ocean friendly policy change to prevent further pollution from entering the ocean.
As a proud sponsor of PADI AWARE Foundation’s marine-debris programme, Seiko joins PADI to amplify PADI AWARE Week to its audiences, helping to build awareness. The annual week invites the global dive community to make a concerted effort to gather this critical survey data so they can be used by marine researchers and policymakers for conservation action.
“Protecting the ocean requires the actions of everyone around the globe working together,” says Valette Wirth. “Together with PADI AWARE Foundation, Seiko and our other partners in conservation, we recognise that anyone with passion for the ocean can become an ocean ambassador and contribute to worldwide efforts to save the ocean as a PADI Torchbearer. AWARE Week 2021 will inspire people with a clear and effective path to action for the planet.”
Throughout AWARE Week 2021, divers, ocean advocates, water enthusiasts and the global community at large may also support and protect the ocean by participating in AWARE specialty courses, which educate participants on the importance of a clean and healthy ocean, and via fundraising, donating and taking part in local conservation activities hosted by PADI Dive Centres, Resorts and Professionals.
Dive Centres in the UK are taking part in the event including:
- Blue Ventures: This UK based PADI Dive Centre has created a sub organisation called Salt Water Britain, led by marine scientist and presenter Charlie Young. Salt Water Britain hosts a series of ocean adventures that drive local impact and change perceptions of the marine life that can be found in the surrounding waters. Their first summer series of events will conclude with an AWARE Week event—which will take divers out to the Farne Islands diving with seals on the 25-26 September, where they will also participate in a Dive Against Debris. See www.scubaverse.com/marine-wildlife-experiences-you-never-knew-existed-in-the-uk/
- Fifth Point Dive Cente: This UK based PADI Dive Centre is running a virtual PADI AWARE Week challenge from the 18-24 September, where participants will be transformed into eco divers in 7 days. Led by PADI Course Director Nic Emery, there will be daily videos and live Q+A’s that cover topics including why the ocean (especially the cold UK waters) needs protection, ways to participate in conservation and be a citizen scientist, and tips for how to make sustainable choices both above and below the surface. See www.fifthpointdiving.com/awareweek/#register
To take part in AWARE Week 2021, visit padi.com/awareweek2021. For more information about the PADI AWARE Foundation, the community of PADI Torchbearers and how to get involved year round, visit padi.com/conservation.
Header Image: Rayna O’Nan-Ocean Rays Photography
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.
Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.
On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.
Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.
Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”
The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.
To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.
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