Beads Out Of The Bay
A Post Gasparilla Dive Against Debris
February 15, 2019 - 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Marjorie Park 97 Columbia Drive Tampa, FL 33606 - Davis Island
A longstanding tradition in Tampa Bay, The Gasparilla Pirate Festival is a large parade and a host of related community events held almost every year since 1904.
In recent years, plastic bead necklaces have become a part of this historical tradition. It is estimated that 225,000 pounds of plastic beads switch hands throughout the event. As pirates invade the bay, they throw plastic beads to crowds that line the shore. A large percentage of those beads never make it to the masses, and end up sinking to the bottom of the Hillsborough River. They can entangle marine life, and break down into microplastics and toxic chemicals that pollute our waterways.
Event Details
Tikkun Hayam, Green Gasparilla, Calypso Divers, the Tampa Bay Police Force, and Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful will come together to pull hundreds of plastic beads from Seddon Channel.
Please bring a reusable water bottle, as single use bottles will not be provided.
Divers must have been diving in the last six months, and have active DAN insurance.
Please fill and upload out the waiver below.
To Register, use the form below.