The All For Blue crew returned to Delos with tremendous joy, but also with a strong sense of volunteerism and responsibility, with the goal of reclaiming the natural landscape of this precious location.
“The Ionians of the Aegean chose this small island to build their common sanctuary for the god Apollo. It was a clean environment for them, both ideologically and literally, and that is why they selected it. As their descendants, we owe respect and we are obliged to preserve this place,” said Th. Vakoulis, Delos’ head archaeologist.
The mission of All For Blue began early on Sunday, October 29, 2023, when 42 volunteers from Athens and Mykonos, including 5 free divers, gathered at Mykonos’ old port bound for Delos. The action was attended by representatives of Mykonos scouts as well as Mykonos residents.
Volunteers were divided into teams and assigned to clean up along the harbor and at the archaeological site with the help of All For Blue’s reusable equipment. Among the items removed were hats, jerry cans, basins, flip-flops, mops, brooms, and dozens of single-use plastic bottles.
The divers, along with a group of volunteers, were transferred to the northern part of the island, which was more crowded due to its location. Plastic pipes, fishing equipment, ropes, plastic bags, hundreds of disposable plastics and styrofoam pieces, and dozens of aluminum cans were among the items removed. With the help of a motor boat, all of the waste was transported to the port of Delos, where it was counted and separated.
The team collected 757 kg of waste from Delos’ shores and seabed. It is worth noting that the aluminum cans will be available for recycling at the Aluminum Can Recycling Center, where they will be recycled and reused.
“We feel like we’re giving something back to this place that has contributed significantly to our heritage. Our volunteers helped to restore the natural beauty of the site, one that every visitor should see. We are making a commitment to return to Delos soon” said Katerina Topouzoglou, founder of All For Blue.
We sincerely thank the Ephorate of Cycladic Antiquities and the Ephorate of Marine Antiquities for granting the necessary license and for their assistance in carrying out the KeepDelosBlue mission. Furthermore, we are grateful to the Hellenic Coast Guard for their presence, which ensured the safety of our divers. Above all, we are grateful to all of the volunteers and friends who made this action possible and particularly to our friend Konstantis Kousathanas for the provision of his speed boat. A special thanks to Delos Tours for the kind offer of transporting our volunteers.
