Last week we explored how to protect the "critical body parts" during winter diving. As the cold deepens, another diving热潮 is warming up in southern waters.

Just in the past few days, 120 freediving athletes gathered at the Guangzhou Jinsha Swimming Pool, competing in speed and endurance at the 2025 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Freediving Series.

As diving enthusiasts continue to push their limits, a deep-sea ecological conservation effort is also underway – the "Elite Marine Guardians" mobilized by the Taitung County Environmental Protection Bureau removed a staggering 388 kg of underwater debris from Jinzun Fishing Harbor.

Last Saturday, the Guangzhou Jinsha Swimming Pool became the focal point of freediving. Four events – Static Apnea, Dynamic No Fins, Dynamic Bifins, and Dynamic With Fins – tested not only the athletes' physical fitness but also their mastery of diving techniques.

As diving competitions were in full swing, heartbreaking news emerged from the Napaling dive site on Bohol Island, Philippines.

The words "Just Dive" were carved into a table coral, a direct act of destruction to the marine ecology that shocked the entire diving community.

This incident led to the temporary closure of the Napaling dive site, the second closure due to coral carving in the area in nearly two years.

Coral reefs are the tropical rainforests of the ocean. While covering less than 1% of the seafloor, they support about a quarter of all marine species. Carving not only directly harms individual corals but also disrupts the entire ecosystem's balance.

Such acts carry legal consequences under Republic Act No. 8550 and local environmental ordinances. The Panglao municipal government has launched a joint investigation with multiple departments and begun coral reef restoration efforts.

In the face of this damage to marine ecosystems, positive conservation actions are also being launched across various regions.

To prepare for the "2025 Taiwan International Surfing Open" scheduled for November 4 in Jinzun, Taitung, the Taitung County Environmental Protection Bureau mobilized 10 "Elite Marine Guardians" to carry out a meaningful underwater cleanup.

These volunteer divers descended to the seabed of Jinzun Fishing Harbor, carefully searching for and removing various types of underwater waste, ultimately collecting approximately 388 kg of marine debris.

This action was not only to create a clean and safe environment for the competition but also a concrete practice of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14: "Life Below Water."

The next time you dive beneath the waves, take a moment to consider those 388 kg of debris and the people working hard to restore the ocean's clarity.