In a powerful blend of community action and environmental stewardship, members of the Milton Keynes Sub-Aqua Club marked the start of their 50th anniversary year with a large-scale underwater cleanup at the iconic Blue Lagoon nature reserve near Bletchley, Buckinghamshire.
The Blue Lagoon, a spring-fed freshwater site popular with local divers and anglers alike, sits at the heart of the Milton Keynes community. Known affectionately as the “Bluey,” it offers up to 18 m of depth and distinctive underwater attractions such as sunken cars, boats and even an aircraft, installed by the club over decades of stewardship.
Divers and Snorkellers Tackle Litter From Lakebed to Shore
On a crisp late-winter morning, nearly 30 club volunteers of all ages split into two teams: one on land picking litter around the shoreline and another in the water as divers and snorkellers hauling debris from the lakebed. The haul was sobering – more than a dozen sacks filled with bottles, cans, plastics, three tyres, multiple pairs of sunglasses and even a paddling pool recovered from the reserve.
“We dive here nearly every week, it’s almost a second home for us,” said Pat Holliday of MKSAC. “Seeing firsthand how much rubbish builds up in our waterways drives us to take action not just for divers, but for nature and the entire community.”
The club confirmed all collected waste was responsibly removed from the reserve for proper disposal following safety and environmental guidelines.
More Active Conservation Planned for 2026
This cleanup is just the first in a series of conservation activities planned throughout MKSAC’s golden anniversary year. Members say environmental work is central to their mission, not only preserving dive sites but building community connections and raising awareness about the impacts of litter in freshwater ecosystems.
The Blue Lagoon isn’t just a cleanup site; it’s a regular training venue for the club and visiting divers. MKSAC hosts weekly dives nearly year-round, welcoming other clubs to explore the lake’s depths by prior arrangement.
Why It Matters
Diver-led cleanups like this highlight an often-overlooked aspect of scuba culture: active stewardship of aquatic environments. Freshwater bodies like Blue Lagoon may not grab the headlines like ocean reefs, but they are crucial habitats and recreational spaces that benefit from hands-on protection by the communities that use them.
As dive clubs around the world increasingly embrace environmental action, MKSAC’s cleanup sets a fantastic example of grassroots impact, proving that divers can be powerful advocates both underwater and above.
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