This Black Friday we shut shop & took part in Blue Friday instead
The Adventure Photographers teamed up with ethical adventure centre Ocean Vertical to take part in their annual day of environmental action focusing on our oceans.
![Ginger bearded adventure photographer Steve is smiling with a binbag on a beach clean. Dogs & walkers in bay behind him](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/870280512/TheAdventurePhotographers-30-5e966463.jpg)
![Jacob of OceanVertical picks up an old fishing creel in front of sunrise on a beach clean litter pick for Blue Friday](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/580280512/TAP65742-061d8a9a.jpg)
It was a weekend of litter picks, fire pits, speakers, drinks and marshmallows. A pretty wonderful counter to the traditional - not so magical - American holiday.
![Photographer Kirtsten Cronie in blue jumper & jeans walks along the water's edge smiling with plastic in her hands](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/187380512/TheAdventurePhotographers-29-c9c7cf5a.jpg)
![Peering over the heads of an audience in a warmly lit room, a woman from the Scottish Seabird Centre talks into a mic](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/887380512/Copy_of_DSC07255-04accf52.jpg)
![Stevie Boyle of OceanVertical watches on as Jacob picks up a piece of marine litter with the sea in the background](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/597380512/TAP65740-02419e94.jpg)
Friday evening we heard about the great work of the Scottish Seabird Centre, the British Divers Marine Life Rescue charity and The Scottish Coastal Clean Up who are all making positive waves for the ocean and spreading the love of our big blue lifeline.
![Back in Ocean Vertical HQ Laura from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue talks to the sitting audience with Alan Nash](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/308580512/TheAdventurePhotographers-11-6ef4e861.jpg)
![Stevie - a white man with brown beard & shoulder length hair laughs with a microphone in hand looking out at audience](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/018580512/TheAdventurePhotographers-19-f652327a.jpg)
Finisterre - a certified B-Corp - were there representing another business rooted in sustainability and donated the grand raffle prize of £250 towards their functional & sustainable products made to last.
![Alan Nash a white man with brown beard smiles as he points animatedly over the heads of the audience during a raffle](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/402780512/TheAdventurePhotographers-22-5307585f.jpg)
![Alan Nash AKA Nashy talking to young boy on stage at the OceanVertical Bue Friday raffle. Woman smiles behind.](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/112780512/TheAdventurePhotographers-25-8cec0a93.jpg)
Our lead photographer Charlotte was invited to speak about the environmental ethos of The Adventure Photographers and share some tales from her epic Greenland expedition and our upcoming film Split.
A film that tackles the contradictions and conflicts of adventuring in a time of climate crisis.
![Nashy sits smiling as interview host in front of a screen that reads The Adventure Photographers Charlotte Workman](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/143780512/TheAdventurePhotographers-3-8d96f702.jpg)
![In a big blue sky the title SPLIT is above 2 silhoettes pulling sleds across sea ice with pointy icebergs on the horizon](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/843780512/UK_Business_Card-374bd90d.png)
![Charlotte Workman of The Adventure Photographers speaking to an audience at Ocean Vertical. White woman with brown hair](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/553780512/TheAdventurePhotographers-6-ed6ff734.jpg)
After collecting rubbish & old creels accumulated at the far end of Belhaven Bay, we walked from Gullane to Yellowcraigs armed with bags and an eye out for nurdles. We had learned the night before that, although they might sound delightful, nurdles are actually little plastic pellets wreaking havoc in our ecosystems.
![Two women crouched on the beach picking microplastic out of seaweed. Behind the sun shines over the bay](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/335490512/20221126_1417542-61f1ad2e.jpg)
![A cupped hand holds colourful microplastic pellets known as nurdles. The hand owners' legs blurry in the background](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/045490512/TAP65972-e075178a.jpg)
Once we started looking we found hundreds of them. It was actually a very satisfying & meditative way to enjoy our coastline. We all got so absorbed into picking up plastic we eventually got benighted on the beach.
![Charlotte & Kirsten litter picking in the dunes above an empty beach in the sunshine](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/521980512/TheAdventurePhotographers-36-c799e06d.jpg)
![Torch light visible through vegetation as two people spot something yellow in the bushes](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/231980512/TheAdventurePhotographers-38-f279c689.jpg)
![An old yellow kayak washed up is illuminated by torchlight as two people look on, one taking a phone photo](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/931980512/TheAdventurePhotographers-39-4859d7af.jpg)
It goes without saying that what we did this weekend is only a drop in the ocean for global environmental conservation. But, the ocean is made of drops! And when you’re out in the sun on a gorgeous coastline with your pals, listening to the ocean, returning smiles to strangers and collecting what could be deadly snacks or snares for wildlife, that is a
good day well spent.
![Kirsten running down a sand dune with a piece of plastic pollution in hand smiling into the sunshine.](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/061990512/TAP65955-3505d257.jpg)
![Stevie & Jacob smiling as they speak to each other adding litter to their bags](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/761990512/TAP65722-f8ff8525.jpg)
![Steve Small of The Adventure Photographers celebrating with his arms wide in the sand dunes holding a piece of litter](http://images-pw.pixieset.com/elementfield/471990512/TAP65950-4282143c.jpg)
Photography mostly by The Adventure Photographers with additional photos from Jacob Allan of Ocean Vertical
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