Rahul Somvanshi
A dive team from Inishowen Sub Aqua Club conducted an underwater clean-up at Leenan Pier in Donegal as part of Big Beach Clean 2026, removing nine bags of litter weighing 90 kilograms from the seabed. The clean-up targeted debris that standard beach collections cannot reach—waste that settles on the seafloor and can break down into microplastics over time.
The Inishowen Sub Aqua Club carried out the underwater clean-up during the national Big Beach Clean 2026 campaign, which ran from September 18 to 20. The group pulled nine bags of waste weighing a combined 90kg from the seafloor at Leenan Pier. The litter collected included bottles, plastic wrapping, food containers, cans, metal and rope.
The wider Big Beach Clean 2026 campaign registered more than 350 groups and 7,000 volunteers across Ireland, with almost 10,000 volunteers ultimately taking part in clean-ups across all 26 counties. The campaign is organised by Clean Coasts and forms part of the International Coastal Cleanup, run by Ocean Conservancy.
Marine litter that reaches the seabed poses different environmental risks from surface debris. It can entangle marine life, create physical hazards for divers and fishing equipment, and break down into microplastics. Removing it requires specialist diving skills and equipment, which limits how often it can be done and how many sites can be covered in a single campaign.
The dive team moved to the adjacent beach after completing the underwater portion of the clean-up. For more on the Big Beach Clean campaign and how to get involved, see . For background on how marine litter becomes microplastics, see .
What is Big Beach Clean?
Big Beach Clean is an annual marine litter campaign run by Clean Coasts across Ireland, forming part of the International Coastal Cleanup coordinated by Ocean Conservancy. Volunteers collect and record litter from beaches, rivers and underwater sites. Almost 10,000 volunteers took part in the 2026 campaign across all 26 counties.
Big Beach Clean 2026 data on litter volumes and composition will be compiled by Clean Coasts and published after the campaign concludes.
