Seventy-nine divers removed 100.9 pounds of debris from the waters around the Okaloosa Island Pier during the first cleanup dive of 2026 on Sunday.

• The Okaloosa County Natural Resources Team led the effort, which drew participants from across the area, including divers who traveled from Mobile, Alabama. First responders, military personnel and dive clubs worked alongside one another during the morning cleanup, the pier said.

The event has grown significantly over the past five years. What began as a small dive with five to 10 participants has expanded to the point that organizers now have two events each year, held in the spring and fall.

The cleanups give divers access to an area around the pier that is typically off-limits to the public, while also supporting the marine environment and ecosystem.

The pier credited its management team, neighboring Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park and its partnership with Visit Destin-Fort Walton Beach for making the dives possible. That partnership also supports marine animal research and the underwater camera at the pier.