Face masks add to sea pollution at popular resort

ANTALYA

The pandemic has been adding a new unwelcome element to sea pollution off Antalya, a resort city in Turkey’s Mediterranean region.

A group of divers has reported a rise in the number of face masks and personal protective equipment shields being collected from the seabed.

Diving on the edge of the “world-famous” cliffs of the city, athletes from the Turkish Underwater Sports Federation captured the pollution under the water with a camera.

İsa Alemdar, the provincial representative of the organization, said that they frequently come across disposable masks and gloves, as well as paintbrushes, plastic bottles, beverage cans, nylon and bags, while diving.

Discarded face masks and plastic gloves washing up on shorelines and littering the sea bed threaten the natural life and the ecosystem in the sea, according to Alemdar.

Stressing that masks and gloves do not easily disappear in nature, Alemdar stated that they collect garbage by scanning 1,000 square meters of an area starting from 10 meters to 30 meters deep.

Capturing the pollution underwater with his camera, Erkut Tanyar said that the scene that he witnessed was frightening.

Belgian diver Najama Laforce, who collected masks from the seabed, expressed that he was not surprised by the pollution he saw.