Saturday, June 18, 2011

A beach in the middle of the Pacific is still a modern beach...


We went to the beach today, bringing our fins, snorkels and masks with us.



On our way down...




We got our first good luck at the trash waiting for us....




It could be the currents that bring this high level of concentration of plastics to Ovahe beach just like the way the currents push plastic trash into the cove at Palos Verde peninsula back home...




The results are the same. Synthetic debris broken down into colorful toxic bits scattered amongst the sand...



Here was the reason that we had traveled all of this way, scooped into the palm of my hand. 




I've seen this brand hanging from the trees on the side of a remote Himalayan trail, and now ten years later, degrading this remote beach.



We're supposed to change our toothbrush every 4 months of our lives.




Just disturbing...



It seems fitting that we should collect some of this mess in a Chico Bag hat that Andy Keller gave Garen after I threw up in Garen's the very first day on the Sea Dragon.



Ovahe, we were told by the locals, was a beach to get away from it all. A beach where you could be left basically undisturbed for the day, body-surfing in a safe cove. The beauty of the beach is stunning. The solitude and isolation is there to soak up like the sun's rays. But the undeniable scourge of plastics littering the beach is equally as breathtaking. 



I think Garen's expression says it all.  

Needless to say that we didn't go in the water that day.

2 comments:

  1. I'm really enjoying reading your blog. Well maybe not enjoying because all the plastic everywhere is depressing, but it's fascinating. Not sure how I stumbled on your blog originally (you were still picking up trash daily on Santa Monica beach). Thanks, and safe travels!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mary -

    How cool your blog is! I just stopped over to see it! LMU is down the street from us, literally. And I am still collecting trash from the beach in Santa Monica. I will resume those collections when I have retold our full trip first. Thank you for commenting. It means a lot to me, and I love hearing from, the variety of people who may have stumbled upon the Daily Ocean. I hope you'll continue to check in.

    thanks again!!
    Sara

    ReplyDelete