Danang
Cleaning the Ocean
Dao Dang Cong Trung grew up in the small coastal village of Cam Thanh in Hoi An, the Ancient City, where the sea is more than just a backdrop, it’s a source of dreams and future plans
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From a young age, the ocean was Dao Dang Cong Trung’s playground, with his father, a former swimming athlete, teaching him to swim. Now living in Da Nang’s Son Tra Peninsula, Trung’s love for the sea transforms into a mission. He isn’t content with just enjoying the ocean; he feels a duty to protect it.
Inter: Picking up Trash
In September 2011, Dao Dang Cong Trung moved to Da Nang, chasing new beginnings and securing a job at a luxury resort nestled on the stunning Son Tra Peninsula. His daily walks through the untouched forests surrounding the resort quickly became more than just a routine.
As he wandered through the green wilderness, Trung developed a habit that would shape the course of his life: picking up trash left behind by careless visitors. “I never imagined that one day I’d be diving into the ocean to collect trash,” Trung recalls, reflecting on the journey that began with such humble steps.
It was 2012 when he first plunged into the crystal-clear waters near the resort, not yet as a protector of the sea, but simply as a guide, surveying coral reefs for curious tourists.
Back then, the ocean seemed pure, free of the plastic pollution. But just three years later, when he returned with another group of visitors, what greeted him beneath the surface left him stunned – “ghost nets” referring to discarded or lost fishing nets that drift with the currents and get stuck on coral reefs -, and beer cans scattered across the seabed, a stark contrast to the beauty he once knew. From that moment, Trung’s mission shifted.
What began as a quiet task of collecting trash in the forests above now led him to the depths of the sea. With each dive, the ocean revealed to him its troubles, and Trung, familiar with every corner of Son Tra’s underwater world, rose to the challenge. Between June and late August, when the sun shines brightly and the sea turns crystal-clear, Trung would set aside two days each week for diving.
Trung starts small, picking up trash on the beach. But soon, he realizes the real challenge is underwater, where pollution is suffocating the coral reefs. His efforts grows.
Determined to make a difference, Trung dives deep, sometimes up to 15 meters, to clear the ocean of waste that has invaded the delicate ecosystem.
Every piece of trash or abandoned net he removes gives the coral reefs a better chance to breathe again. Trung becomes more than a man cleaning the ocean. He’s a quiet hero, dedicated to saving the sea that has given him so much.
The First Man to Do so
The scale of Trung’s work soon caught the attention of many, including Phan Minh Hai, deputy manager of the Son Tra Peninsula and Da Nang Tourism Beaches Management Board. Hai speaks of Trung: “He’s the first to dive into the ocean to collect trash. It’s not just about his swimming skills. You need a great love for the environment to persist the way Trung does.”
Inspired by Trung’s passion, local organizations and communities have begun to rally around him. “We’ve mobilized various clubs, like the SUP and kayak groups, to help pick up trash around the Son Tra Peninsula,” says Phan Minh Hai.
The spirit of volunteerism didn’t stop there. Trung’s influence even led to the formation in 2023 with a friend – Nguyen Thi Tra My – of the “ Danang Free Diving”. It’s a group of almost 4000 swimmers and, among them, nearly 200 skilled divers, all eager to protect the coral reefs. Their efforts focus not only on removing waste but also on restoring damaged coral, nurturing it back to health.
Trung, the director of Man Thai Travel and Trade Firm, specializing in survival activities and adventure experiences in both forests and oceans, as well as biodiversity conservation and environmental protection, led by example, his decade of diving experience guiding the younger divers. Man Thai Travel and Trade Firm, set up in 2021, also provides and teaches scuba diving.
“Thanks to this initiative, the city is developing unique ecotourism resources,” Phan Minh Hai adds, proud of the community that has come together to safeguard Son Tra’s natural treasures.
But Trung never wavered. He invested in top-tier scuba gear to reach the most damaged areas. His dives were calm and precise, driven by an unwavering belief that each piece of trash he pulled from the water was one less threat to the fragile ecosystem he sought to protect.
Dedication to the Ocean
Even as a successful company leader, Trung’s commitment to the sea never falters. His weekdays might be filled with business responsibilities, but his heart belongs to the ocean. Each weekend, he swaps his office attire for a wetsuit and dive deep into the waters of Son Tra.
Locals see him not just as a businessman but as a protector of their natural heritage. Children, students, and even tourists are inspired by his work, organizing beach cleanups and spreading the message of ocean conservation.
Trung’s vision goes beyond just picking up trash. He wants to heal the reefs and sees them thrive again. It’s delicate work, but Trung believes in the power of renewal. He believesthat with enough care and dedication, the ocean could be healed.
Trung’s life, a mix of business success and environmental activism, is driven by a simple dream: to see the ocean restored to its former glory. He often reminds his team that they aren’t just removing waste, they were safeguarding the future.
Their mission is more than just a cleanup effort; it is an act of love. For Trung and his team, the ocean is their home, a place of beauty and wonder that deserves their care and protection.
While their work may sometimes feel like trying to empty the ocean with a bucket, they persist because they know that every piece of trash they remove, every net they untangle from the coral, is a victory. It’s a step closer to a cleaner, healthier ocean – an ocean that can continue to thrive in the future.
At 45, Trung knows the challenges ahead are tough. With booming tourism in Da Nang comes more waste and pollution. Fishermen also leave behind their nets, damaging the fragile reefs. But Trung remains hopeful. Each piece of trash removed and new coral planted brings the ocean closer to recovery. Every dive reminds him of the beauty that once was. And the beauty that could be again.
Dao Dang Cong Trung dreams of the day when he dives into the waters of Son Tra and finds nothing to clean, when the coral sways gently in the current, undisturbed and thriving. Until that day comes, he says he’ll continue to dive, fight, and inspire others to see the ocean not as something to exploit but as a gift to cherish.
He also says he hopes “to spread the mission not just in Da Nang but across the whole country.”
Ngoc Tran
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Photos (courtesy of “ Danang Free Diving”…. ) and captions:
- The coral in Da Nang’s ocean is so beautiful!
- Diving to collect trash from the ocean floor.
- Dao Dang Cong Trung shows off the haul of the day’s efforts.
- Women are also actively involved in coral rescue.
