Cape Town - After the fierce storm on Friday night, the Two Oceans Aquarium celebrated its 26th birthday by hosting a Trash Bash at Hout Bay beach on Saturday morning.
Capetonians and visitors gathered to clean up the beach to protect the ocean and the marine life.
Two Oceans Aquarium spokesperson Renée Leeuwner said: “We hold Trash Bashes all over Cape Town, and last year was obviously not a great year for it, even though it was our 25th birthday.
“So this year for our 26th birthday celebrations, we continued with the initiative to show the people of Cape Town and the communities around the beaches that they can make a real difference.”
These clean-ups have proven to be increasingly necessary as the years go by. On arrival at the Trash Bash, Leeuwner said the volunteer group found a dead seal and a dead seabird, which were sent to the appropriate facilities.
“Beach clean-ups are crucial as they prevent plastic and other trash from being deposited in the ocean. We can all do something to look after the environment, and cleaning a beach is an easy and fun way of making a contribution while connecting with nature,” Leeuwner said.
Although the beach looked clean and devoid of litter, volunteers collected large amounts of trash, with their collection buckets overflowing.
Beach Co-op operations manager Megan-Rose Francis, who started out as a volunteer at the Two Oceans Aquarium 10 years ago, said: “People often think it’s just the big items of trash that cause harm, but it’s the small items that have the biggest impact.”
Atlantis resident Miranda Michaels came out to show her support.
“My husband had a birthday on Thursday, so we decided to celebrate his birthday differently this year by giving back to the community in Hout Bay through the Trash Bash.”
