Salt in the Air, Nets in Our Hands:
Kicking Off a New Chapter with Arena and Andy Donaldson
The sea was calm but quite cold. The air smelled of salt and early summer. And below the surface, ghost nets waited.
On May 24, the Healthy Seas team returned to Rasa Fjord—an ecologically significant area on the Istrian coast of Croatia—with a new partner onboard: Andy Donaldson, record-breaking ultra-swimmer and sustainability ambassador for Arena, one of our long-standing partners.
This mission marks the first of four international cleanup activities planned for 2025 in collaboration with Arena and their athlete ambassadors. And it reminded us why these partnerships matter—not just for the visibility they bring, but for the real, hands-on work that happens when people step up, suit up, and get in the water.
A Mission with Tangible Impact
The dive team, led by our partners from Ghost Diving Adriatic, recovered:
- 70 m² of ghost net
- 1 big abandoned fish cage
- 10 meters of additional net
- Countless longlines entangled to the nets
These nets, left behind from fishing activity, pose a continuous threat to marine life in Rasa Fjord, an important nursery ground for fish, rays, and crabs. With every dive, we remove not just waste—but danger.
While each cleanup mission is unique, the journey of the recovered nets doesn’t end at the harbor. When made from nylon, the fishing nets collected by Healthy Seas are carefully selected and sent to our partner Aquafil, where they are combined with other types of discarded nylon waste—such as old carpets and fabric scraps—and regenerated into ECONYL® yarn. This innovative process creates a high-quality nylon with the same properties as virgin material, supporting a circular economy and giving new life to materials that would otherwise pollute the planet.
When Athletes Join the Effort
Having Andy Donaldson on board brought something special. Known for his record-breaking ocean swims and powerful advocacy around mental health, Andy, as other Arena ambassadors before him, came not just to witness, but to really take part.
This mission was a reminder that real impact doesn’t always show up in the photos. It lives in the quiet, human moments that happen in between: when Andy, after a long shoot in cold water, spotted a piece of polystyrene on a tiny beach and swam across the inlet to collect it. When the entire Arena team knelt in the sun to examine recovered ghost nets, carefully checking for signs of trapped marine life. When a Ghost Diving volunteer showed up just two days after his wedding, ready to dive. And when journalists put down their cameras—not just to record, but to ask, to listen, and to help.
What brought us together in Krnica wasn’t just a cleanup. It was a shared belief: that when people with different roles, backgrounds, and perspectives come together, action becomes something more powerful than the sum of its parts.
“What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid?”
Andy shared with us the mindset that has carried him across oceans—one stroke at a time. He spoke not only of endurance, but of vulnerability. Not only of strength, but of fear. And how working through fear can create space for purpose.
In the context of ocean conservation, these lessons are deeply relevant.
So many people care deeply about the ocean. But they also feel tired. Overwhelmed. Unsure where to start.
Andy reminded us—and anyone following along—that courage doesn’t have to be loud. Sometimes it looks like picking up one piece of trash. Or joining one dive. Or using your voice when it matters most.
“What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”
A simple question. But maybe one that can guide us all.
A Year of Action Ahead
This mission was just the beginning. In the months ahead, Healthy Seas and Arena will continue to bring together athletes, volunteers, and local communities for three more international cleanups—each one highlighting a new location, a new ambassador, and a renewed commitment to ocean protection.
From ghost nets to global voices, this is the power of working together.
We’re grateful to Andy, to Arena, to our dive volunteers—and to the sea, which was nice to us that day and always gives more than it takes.
