Pick up your shell phone… we’re calling all beach bums and ocean advocates for World Oceans Day!
What Is World Oceans Day?
Every year on 8th June, people celebrate our marvellous blue ocean. However, this day is about much more than just having a nice time at the beach. It’s a day to reflect on everything that the ocean gives us, and recognize how our behaviours impact it.
The ocean isn’t looking her best at the moment, and hasn’t for years. A staggering eight million metric tons of plastic waste are dumped into the ocean every year, killing animals and the precious ecosystems we depend on for life as we know it. Changing our attitude and behaviours around single-use plastics and keeping harmful chemicals like oxybenzone and octinoxate out of the water is the ocean’s only hope. We need to act right now.
World Oceans Day serves as a powerful way of educating people on this dire situation and encouraging them to reflect on their individual plastic use. Whether you sign up for turtle patrol, volunteer at a local beach cleanup or simply reflect on ways you can cut back on how much plastic you use, the ocean and all the life that it holds is deeply grateful.
Stream2Sea at Beach.com World Oceans Day Beach Cleanup
At Stream2Sea, we know all about the dangers facing the ocean. Our sunscreen means you’re protected from harmful UV rays while ensuring coral-killing chemicals stay out of the sea. That’s why our products make a great addition to any ocean-saving event, like a sunny beach cleanup.
Beach cleanups are all about education. Sure, rubbish is taken off the beach, saving animals from ingesting it or getting tangled up in it, but another day brings a new load of rubbish. The enduring effects of beach cleanups come from the behaviour changes volunteers make when they learn what is polluting our oceans and how they can do their part.
When Beach.com started organizing their beach cleanup, they knew the event needed to speak volumes for the ocean, but their main concern was the volunteers’ safety and well-being. After highlighting the rules for each volunteer, like wearing close-toed shoes, bringing a reusable water bottle and wearing sun protection, they saw a perfect fit for Stream2Sea at the event. We sent packages of sunscreen to the Beach.com team so volunteers who forgot to bring their own, so that they could protect themselves from the sun and toxic chemicals.
The beach cleanup took place at Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota, Florida on 8th June from 8 to 11 am. Over 300 volunteers came together for a day of celebrating the ocean with a beach cleanup and much more. It was a family-friendly event with a T-shirt giveaway to the first 100 participants, sunrise yoga, live music, bites to eat, and a raffle with prizes donated by local businesses. In an effort to spread the word on ocean conservation, there was also a life-sized frame for people to hang their collected trash on, take photos in and share on Instagram with #NotOnMyBeach.
About Beach.com
Beach.com is a vacation travel site focused on beach destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico and Florida. Their beach cleanup programme is part of their initiative to keep beaches beautiful for generations to come. If you’re planning a beach vacation or looking for tips on sustainable travel, Beach.com is a comprehensive resource with information on places to stay, where to eat and what to do.