An Earthshot Prize winner has revealed to GB News what it was like planting coral with The Prince and Princess of Wales in the Bahamas.
Prince William and Princess Catherine "didn't want to stop planting corals" during a private trip with Coral Vita co-founder, Sam Teicher.
They "are pretty phenomenal free divers", Sam said, whose company won £1 million during Prince William's Earthshot Prize last year.
Prince William and Princess Catherine "didn't want to stop planting corals" during a private trip with Coral Vita co-founder, Sam Tiecher.
Chris Jackson
With "big smiles", the Prince and Princess asked Sam how corals can be planted more efficiently to help restore our oceans and remarked at how "crystal clear the waters were in the Bahamas".
Coral Vita is working to restore the world's dying coral reefs, and Prince William and Princess Catherine visited during their tour of the Caribbean to mark the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee in March 2022.
Following the public engagement, Sam Teicher escorted the royal couple on a private visit to plant corals in the sea.
Sam said: "They are really passionate about protecting the planet. Leaving a legacy behind that, not only the natural world, but humanity can benefit from. They are pretty phenomenal free divers, I got to say, and they didn't want to stop planting corals. It was a shame they had a flight to catch because I don't think they wanted to get out of the water."
"It was big smiles. [They asked] How can we plant these corals faster? What are we going to do to make this an easier process? What are the species of corals we are planting into the reefs? What marine life is around us?"
"We also talked about just how crystal clear the waters were in the Bahamas. It was a really special moment to be able to share that with them and I hope they enjoyed it as well."
Prince William became British Sub Aqua Club's president in 2014, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.
An experienced diver, His Royal Highness said at the time that "Scuba diving really has opened my eyes not only to many extraordinary sights, but also to the responsibilities that we have as guardians of the underwater world".
Princess Catherine qualified as an advanced scuba diver in 2015, according to media reports.
This week, The Prince and Princess of Wales are travelling to Boston to attend Prince William's Earthshot Prize award ceremony on Friday 2nd December.
The environmental prize aims to find solutions to repair our planet over the next decade.
Annually, the winner of each category (Protect and Restore Nature, Clean Our Air, Revive Our Oceans, Build a Waste Free World, Fix Our Climate) receives a £1million prize.
The "Moonshot" challenge was set by President John F. Kennedy in 1962 to meet the seemingly impossible task to land a man on the moon.
Following the public engagement, Sam Teicher escorted the royal couple on a private visit to plant corals in the sea.
Jane Barlow
Prince William was inspired by that achievement and established The Earthshot Prize to restore our natural world.
Later this week, the Prince and Princess will "get to know the City of Boston" and many of the engagements will highlight the U.S. city's efforts to tackle the effects of climate change.
Prince William and Princess Catherine last visited the United States in 2014, before Megxit and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.
During the trip the Prince and Princess of Wales will visit Roca, a non-profit organisation which helps young people at risk of violence or prison improve their life chances.
Kate will also champion The Royal Foundation's Centre for Early Childhood by visiting The Centre on the Developing Child at Harvard University, as part of her work to highlight how the first years of life can shape future outcomes.
The second annual Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony which is taking place at the MGM Music Hall in Boston on Friday 2nd December.
The Ceremony will be broadcast around the world on Sunday 4th December.
