Twenty scuba divers helped to remove almost half a tonne of rubbish from a 56-year-old shipwreck that is now home to marine life.
The wreck of the cargo vessel MV Dara, which sank off the coast of Sharjah in 1961 after a explosion, claiming the lives of 238 people on board, lies 20 metres below the surface and has become home to marine life and a big attraction for divers.
Teams from Sharjah Police and the Emirates Diving Centre travelled to the wreck, where they recovered more than 300 kilogrammes of rubbish including fishing nets.
The team chose to focus on the Dara after an earlier dive found the wreck was in urgent need of cleaning.
The initiative was organised by Sharjah Aquarium and Sharjah Museums Department as part of the ongoing Because We Care campaign and the UAE Year of Giving.
“It is a reminder that we must preserve our natural marine environment for future generations to enjoy,” said Manal Ataya, director general of Sharjah Museums Department.
rhaza@thenational.ae
