Nationwide Put up speaks with Sean McMullen about his clean-up dives, rarest finds—and why he is been documenting his explorations on social media
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Sean McMullen, a lifelong scuba diver, began getting again within the water through the pandemic lockdown to search for glass bottles, a pastime from his childhood.
As he dove within the waterways close to Halifax, N.S., he observed the quantity of trash within the water and started taking it out. This sparked the Saltwater Sean social media presence. He posts pictures and movies of his findings, going into Halifax waterways three or 4 instances per week to scrub up.
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Now, McMullen has 108,000 followers on Instagram, and virtually 27,000 subscribers on YouTube. On his social media pages, he exhibits off his finds. They might be on a regular basis gadgets equivalent to a fishing lures, or a MacBook laptop computer or a golf membership. Some are extra — ornate clay pipes, and lots of glass and stoneware bottles, or an aqua whiskey bottle from the late 1800s or Nineteen Thirties prohibition-era bottles.
Nationwide Put up spoke with McMullen — a.ok.a. Saltwater Sean — about his diving, his finds and why he’s been documenting his explorations on social media.
This interview has been edited and condensed for readability and size.
What are you able to inform us about this undertaking?
The Saltwater Shawn undertaking, or initiative, is one thing that’s been occurring formally for 4 years, however I’ve been diving and snorkelling since I used to be a child. My dad is a scuba diver, and I used to be at all times eager about what was beneath the ocean, lakes and rivers.
I began seeing trash and rubbish and I used to be like, “If I’m filming this, I most likely shouldn’t simply decide and select stuff.”
So, then I began taking all the things with me. After which I began grouping all of it collectively and sharing it. After which I used to be like, “Oh, that is having an impression on folks.” That meant so much to me, that folks resonated with what I used to be doing, the journey facet, the conservation facet, the exploration facet. But it surely grew to become one thing extra, like I actually do care. I suppose you may name me an environmentalist now as a result of I’m doing the work, however I really feel like I’ve a accountability now to depart locations cleaner and higher than once I entered them.
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Why did you determine to begin documenting it on social media?
As a result of I discovered it attention-grabbing and I used to be like, “I ponder if different folks would discover this attention-grabbing too?” As a result of I group all of it collectively: the nice, the unhealthy, the ugly. There’d be historic gadgets combined in with identical to, iPhones, or simply tons of plastic. There’re all types of issues underwater that completely different folks will resonate with. I’ve an older era be like, “I keep in mind ingesting these pop bottles.” Otherwise you’ll have teenagers being like, “You discovered a cellphone?” There’s an enormous mixture of stuff that I feel hits quite a lot of ages.
What has the best factor been in documenting it on social media?
The good factor I feel in documenting all of it has been the general virtually universally optimistic response to what I’m doing, and the curiosity. As a result of I did this for a very long time with out anybody understanding about it. And so, the truth that folks take note of it, and luxuriate in watching my movies, or my photos, it does sort of shock me, actually. As a result of I might do that if nobody was paying consideration. So, the truth that persons are, is simply nice, but when I misplaced the entire viewers tomorrow and all social media networks died, I wouldn’t cease doing it.
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What’s one of the attention-grabbing belongings you discovered?
Essentially the most attention-grabbing to me, it’s known as a Felix J. Quinn ginger beer bottle. Once I was a child, my dad, he went scuba diving on this journey. Dad got here residence with this bottle of Felix J. Quinn, and I used to be a child, and I used to be like, “That’s so cool.” And I used to be like, “I’m gonna discover my very own sometime.” After which two years in the past I used to be with dad in Terrence Bay, and I discovered a Felix J. Quinn bottle of my very own, with him. And it made me emotional.
Now objectively, essentially the most attention-grabbing factor I’ve discovered other than feelings, they’re known as torpedo bottles. They came to visit from England. They seem like bowling pins, however they’re pointed on the underside. And you may’t stand them upright. They’re very weird. And I discovered a few these, and I don’t even know what I used to be taking a look at.
What has been essentially the most surprising factor about doing this?
Essentially the most surprising factor is the quantity of rubbish that’s within the waterways of this province. There’s no finish to the plastic and rubbish I’ve been taking out. I’m only one man doing it. And I simply really feel like there’s not sufficient time to take all of it, so I simply must do it at some point at a time. And I’ve been in locations the place I assumed I’ve cleaned it up, after which I am going again and there’s extra. I’m identical to, “The place does this come from?”
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What motivates you to proceed?
The sheer notion of something, anyplace, proper? It’s an journey. Each time I get in, I actually don’t know what’s going to occur. I don’t know what I’m going to seek out. And that simply is very addictive.
What do you want folks knew about your undertaking?
It takes quite a lot of work to do that. I really feel like I could make it look straightforward as a result of I’ve been doing it a lot. However there’s quite a lot of planning, generally scheduling, willingness to get in once you’re not feeling one of the best. Folks don’t see me finding out the rubbish, driving it to a dumpster or taking it to the recycling. There’s quite a lot of work concerned with it.
Is there the rest that you simply want to add?
Individuals who comply with together with me and watch what I do, I hope it conjures up them to need to get within the water and get messy. Discover stuff, and clear it up, and go away locations higher than you discovered it. It’s very fulfilling.
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