If you have been to Segara Ayu Beach, you will have seen that this stretch of beach in Sanur is quite popular for tourism activities and dining, as well as accessing the Nusa Penida Islands. Though there are so many activities at the beach, it is kept clean. But if you look a little closer, you will see some trash which floats up on the waves, or trickles down from the land.

To prevent this trash from damaging marine life, CTC coordinated a cleanup as part of the annual Bali’s Biggest Clean Up, by One Island One Voice. In collaboration with the Body Shop Indonesia, Sustainable Suzy, Segara Seaside Bar and Restaurant, and local schools in Sanur, we all worked together to clean up the Segara Ayu Beach.

After only 30 minutes, we had collected 4,457 cigarette butts, 890 food wrappings, hundreds of plastic cups and straws, as well as countless plastic bags. The trash, especially the cigarette butts, can camouflage with the sand, and lots of plastic cups and bags were hidden behind rocks, or around the jetty, which is one of the best spots to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Sanur’s beaches.

To help spread the words on marine conservation, CTC engaged with the students to perform a traditional Balinese dance that has been modified to tell the story of ocean conservation. They were excited while performing the Kecak dance and Wayang Samudra, or ocean shadow puppets, and we hope that the students will now spread the message of ocean conservation to their friends and families.