633 divers in South Florida broke the Guinness World Record for the largest underwater cleanup in history

Guinness World Records adjudicator Michael Empric counts divers as they enter the water and attempt to break the world record for the largest underwater cleanup.The record was broken with 633 divers taking part in the record breaking dive at the Deerfield Beach International Fishing Pier, 200 NE 21st Ave. on Saturday, June 15. Mike Stocker, South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Mike Stocker / Sun Sentinel)

633 divers came together today to raise awareness about ocean pollution and unite to try and break a Guinness World Record books for the world’s largest underwater cleanup and they did it!

The previous record was reportedly set in 2015 by a group of 614 divers in the Red Sea.

Michael Empric, an adjudicator for Guinness who called himself the “official eyes and ears of Guinness World Records on the ground” in an interview with the paper, said he counted off every diver who entered the water for more than 15 minutes.

“I actually stood there and clicked off everyone as they got in the water,” he said. “So we know immediately whether or not the record’s been broken.”

Arlington Pavan, the owner of the Dixie Divers facility in Deerfield Beach, was excited by the turnout for the cleanup event.

“Oh, it’s amazing to see everybody here, happy, just amazing,” Pavan told the newspaper. “The last record took 24 hours and we did it in two hours, so it’s amazing.”

Thanks to all the divers, participants, and organizers. We need to come together and save our animals in the sea. Approximately 100,000 marine creatures a year die from plastic entanglement and these are the ones found. About one million sea birds also die from plastic.

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