Massive Cleanup Planned for Marietas Islands

The Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Research and Environmental Programs Office, the National Commission for Protected Natural Areas (Conanp, by its acronym in Spanish) and several tourism service providers participated in a massive cleanup of Islas Marietas this past Monday, June 6.

“This is part of the efforts we’ve set in place for over than a year,” said Marc Murphy, Managing Director of the Riviera Nayarit CVB. “New service providers participate each time we have a cleanup, which shows the commitment they have to the conservation of the Marietas.”

Service providers from Sayulita, Punta de Mita, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Nuevo Vallarta and Puerto Vallarta joined in this cleanup.

Aside from picking up the trash that littered the islands, a crew of professional scuba divers from Vallarta Adventures and Vallarta Under Sea helped clean up the seabed.

The Riviera Nayarit CVB provides supplies to the participants, who fan out over the area to cover as much ground as possible. The service providers supply their own boats, gasoline and elbow grease.

“The idea is for this activity to take place on a continuing basis and to be replicated in other iconic areas of the bay,” added Murphy.

It is important to point out there are currently agreements between the Conanp and the tourism service providers to improve and coordinate the management of the tourist visits to the Islas Marietas, an icon of the Riviera Nayarit.