Black lab Lila first gained internet fame when a video of her diving to catch a lobster went viral. Since then, she’s learned to use her diving abilities to fish for something new: ocean trash. Lila heads out on the boat with her owner Alex Schultze and can dive up to 15 feet to fetch bottles and other stray trash in the water.
Lila and Alex work with a group called 4 Ocean to help clean up our waterways. This company organizes trash collections on the shore and in the water and partners with other organizations to promote a cleaner world.
Since the company began in January 2017, they’ve removed over 75,000 pounds of trash. They’re on a mission to hit 100,000 pounds, and Lila is definitely doing her part. Most of the trash that she and other volunteers clean up is plastic.
What do they do with all this plastic? They recycle it, of course. But 4 Ocean takes a lot of their plastic and recycles it into something special: bracelets. They sell these bracelets online to help fund the cost of their operation.
So while Lila became known because of her seafood-catching skills, she’s really making a difference in the world with her plunges for plastic. To see Lila in action, check out the video below: