We are passionate about protecting the ocean at The Fifth Point. It runs through the heart of everything we do from our education and training to direct action like marine debris surveys and clean-ups. If you join us for an adventure, you'll be taking part too!
We're proud to be part of a global network of protected dive sites that are part of the PADI AWARE Adopt The Blue program.
We've been long-standing supporters of the PADI AWARE Foundation (previously known as Project AWARE). In fact, our co-founders Nic and James have been involved in the great work of this charity for nearly a decade!
- The Fifth Point was the first dive centre in the UK to be awarded their Green Star Award for our approach to sustainability as a business.
- We are 100% AWARE which means that for every course you take, we make a donation to the charity on your behalf
- We teach all of the AWARE courses including the AWARE specialty (which you'll take as part of your PADI Open Water Course), the Dive Against Debris specialty (which you'll take as part of your PADI Advanced Course), plus Fish ID, Coral Reef Conservation, Shark Conservation and many more!
- We follow the Green Fins Code of Conduct so that we minimise our impact on the ocean
- Every dive we do is a Dive Against Debris and we submit survey data to PADI AWARE every week (173 so far and counting!)
- We adopted 4 sites as part of their Adopt A Dive Site program (the predecessor to the PADI AWARE Adopt The Blue program)
So when they announced their new initiative, we were straight on board!
WHAT IS THE PADI AWARE ADOPT THE BLUE PROGRAM?
Building on the success of Adopt A Dive Site, PADI AWARE Adopt The Blue is a new program to help reach their ambitious goal of actively conserving 10,000 dive sites between now and 2025.
Most people associate protecting the ocean with protecting tropical coral reefs. We always see lots of images of conservation activities like coral nurseries, coral and fish surveys, invasive species control (and people diving in just bikinis!) This was a big part of the work that Nic and James undertook during their time in Malaysia (James didn't look great in a bikini though...)
When they came home to set up The Fifth Point, their ethos for ocean protection came with them.
The cold water of the North Sea is not barren. Far from it! Just ask any of our divers and snorkelers what cool marine life they saw during their last adventure. Our Northumberland coast is home to creatures and ecosystems that are just as delicate and vulnerable as any of their tropical cousins.
That's why we've signed up and adopted ALL of our regular sites as part of the PADI AWARE Adopt The Blue program.
- Knacker Hole (Beadnell)
- Lady Hole (Beadnell)
- Greenends Gully (Eyemouth)
- Nestends Gully (Eyemouth)
- West Bay (St Mary's Island, Whitley Bay)
We absolutely love these sites. We will continue to actively protect these areas by carrying out regular clean up activities and reporting the data, it's just what we do and we'd love your help too!
You can get involved in scuba diving, snorkeling and beach clean ups - just check out our adventure calendar for what we've got going on.