Join the Aruba Reef Care project and scuba dive for the enviroment

Divers planning to visit the Caribbean island of Aruba this September will be able to get involved in the next stage of the environmental Aruba Reef Care Project, which has been in place since 1994.

While visiting and enjoying Aruba, divers can volunteer to take part in the coastal clean-up efforts that will take place on 21st September, 2013, along a 20-mile stretch of the island's southern coastline.

The coastal clean-up is just one of a series of measure put in place to make Aruba one of the world's greenest destinations and around 900 volunteers are expected to take part in the project in September.

Volunteers will clear litter from beaches, including those in front of main resorts and hotels, while divers will go scuba diving in the Caribbean waters, removing any rubbish that could potentially harm the marine species.

The project is supported by the Aruba Tourism Authority, as well as many hotels and resorts on the island, and it gives locals the chance to work with tourists to help preserve the coral reefs so that it continues to be a leading destination for scuba diving holidays.

"Aruba has grown from 200,000 visitors a year to nearly 1.5 million and increased from 2,000 hotel rooms to 8,000. And all of this is a very small country, with a population density of 500 people per square kilometre - that is higher than New York," explained Mike Eman, Aruba's Prime Minister.

"It was time for us as a nation to reassess where we should go in the next 25 years and it was clear to us we should focus on quality not quantity in expanding our economy, without making heavy demands on our infrastructure and natural resources".

During scuba diving adventures in Aruba, visitors can explore the 400-foot-long Antilla, one of the largest wrecks in the Caribbean which is located close to the Arashi reef. The German freighter was used during World War II to transport provisions to submarines that were patrolling the Dutch Antilles.

The abandoned ship lies in shallow waters and is thriving with vibrant sponges, corals and marine creatures that have made the vessel their home over the years.

The Caribbean is one of the leading scuba diving destinations in the world and divers can explore the waters of the Cayman Islands, Bonaire, Curacao, Barbados and Cuba where an array of tropical species can be seen such as turtles, sea horses, dolphins, whale sharks, manta rays, reef sharks, barracuda, colourful sponges, sea plants, and thousands of vibrant fish.