150 Volunteers Clean Kalk Bay Harbour on World Oceans Day

A record 150 volunteers showed up at one of South Africa's oldest working harbours this World Oceans Day, proving that communities are ready to fight for cleaner oceans. The turnout at Kalk Bay Harbour marked the biggest cleanup in the annual event's nine-year history.

Kalk Bay Harbour sits along Cape Town's coastline, famous for its colorful fishing boats and fresh catch. But beneath the picture-perfect surface, a different story plays out: plastic wrappers, fishing lines, and other trash settle on the seafloor, hidden from view but harming marine life.

This year, 20 divers from Trail Freedivers plunged into the water with bright orange buoys marking their locations. They collected discarded fishing gear, plastic cutlery, and wrappers that had sunk to the bottom. Meanwhile, volunteers cleaned the shoreline, picking up debris that washed down through stormwater drains and blew in from harbour moorings.

Sentinel Ocean Alliance organized the beach cleanup, bringing together people from across the region. About 50 young surfers from Ocean View and Lavender Hill traded their Saturday surf session for cleanup duty through Waves for Change. Their sacrifice paid off in more ways than one.

The Ripple Effect

The cleanup does more than just remove trash. Volunteers contribute to one of Cape Town's most detailed records of coastal pollution, helping scientists and policymakers understand what's ending up in the ocean and where it's coming from.

For nine years running, this dedicated team has returned to Kalk Bay Harbour to tackle pollution others can't see. Each year brings more volunteers, more awareness, and cleaner waters. The growing numbers tell a hopeful story: people care about ocean health and are willing to roll up their sleeves.

The young surfers especially understand what's at stake. They ride these waves, see these shores, and know the ocean's health directly affects their community and their future.

This year's record turnout proves that ocean conservation isn't just the job of scientists or activists anymore—it's becoming everyone's responsibility.