Cleaning Shipwrecks

In the summer of 2020, 13 wrecks north of Ameland and Schiermonnikoog have been cleared of lost cargo and fishing nets. This action was done by an experienced diving team of 30 volunteers from Stichting Duik De Noordzee Schoon. Most of this cargo originates from the freighter MSC Zoe. Textiles, electronics and household items found were largely disappeared under the sand, which made searching and recovery difficult. In 19 dives, the team removed 6 Big Bags of waste from shipwrecks. This means that more than 2 tons of mainly lost plastics is removed from the North Sea.

In the night of 1 to 2 January 2019, the ship MSCZoe lost 342 shipping containers into the North Sea above the Wadden Islands. The estimate of the missing cargo approximately 800,000 kg. Plastics in the sea on the edge of the Wadden Sea is a problem for the future. It threatens the water quality of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Director & Cinematographer: Maarten Slooves
Animated Graphics: Tamar Slooves