Divers in Riga's Daugava near Ķīpsala find an old watch, a scooter and a Zhiguli number plate

The diving society “Mitau Diver” has published a new video on social media in which its divers explore the bed of the Daugava River near the Ķīpsala beach in Riga and the surrounding area. The group describes its activity as surveying Latvia's waters and, as far as possible, helping to keep them cleaner.

Clean shore, different story below

According to the divers, the beach itself is clean on land. Yet once they looked deeper into the Daugava, there was no shortage of finds. Society representatives say that underwater one can sometimes come across things whose existence would be impossible to guess while standing on the bank.

What turned up

The range of items recovered from the riverbed was varied. Among them were an old watch and a layer of paper bearing a philosophical inscription in English: “Time enjoyed wasting is not wasted time”.

The divers also found a kick scooter, a smartphone, a retro-style number plate from a Zhiguli car and a fishing rod. Kitchenware was well represented too, from a single mug to a frying pan.

The society summed up its approach with the words “we look where others don't see”, and says it will continue exploring what lies beneath Latvia's waters.