A United Hanauma Bay Beach Clean Up
Saturday, March 2, 2024, twenty-six participants gathered at Hanauma Bay to again clean the Witches’ Brew side of the preserve. Due to the currents, the Witches’ Brew side is always the primary spot where ocean debris is deposited. Under the supervision of faculty advisor, Paul Balzas, the Wipeout Crew from Henry J. Kaiser High School and Lon Briggs and the members of the Ohio State University Alumni Club of Hawaii worked from 8:00 – 10:00 A.M., to collect lots of plastics items and pieces from the beach.
The participants gathered for an orientation from Sheila Mackertich and Paul Halvorson. Everyone was given plastic bags, gloves, shovels and buckets for the trash collection before heading down to the beach.
Below are some of the thoughtful reflections on the event from Wipeout Crew members from Kaiser High School:
At this cleanup, we had lots of fun and found lots of trash. The highlight of my morning was that while we were cleaning up and taking care of our land, there were many small treasures such as shells and sea urchins that were fun to find. I was surprised to find a toothbrush, as well as several larger chunks of plastic. I enjoyed being able to interact with people from another state and see the beach transform!
– Hanae Yamanishi
Aloha! My name is Me’lania Ali Heron and I am a senior at Kaiser High School. Having participated in numerous cleanups with Hanauma Bay in the past, I must say that this was another one for the books. Right away as we walked onto the coast I was overwhelmed with obscure pieces of trash in every shape and form. Fortunately, we had the amazing opportunity to work alongside Ohio State fellows who helped to elevate the experience entirely. By sifting through the sand and venturing into the brush, we found intriguing collections of debris as well as beautiful shells of marine creatures. While we certainly had a fun time laughing, sharing stories, and gaining wisdom, we also walked away with confirmation that one beach cleanup will not reverse years of damage caused by humans. Rather, it is crucial that we continue to return to coastlines around the island and around the world to maintain the well-being of the place we call home.
– Me’lania Ali Heron
I am sharing some of my experiences regarding the Hanauma Bay cleanup event on March
2nd. The most surprising thing about the beach cleanup was just how much garbage had accumulated in a few months. Our last cleanup was in late 2023, but the scene had completely changed from when we left it to how it was when we recently walked down. It is simply a different Hanauma Bay compared to the other end of the beach. For some positives, one highlight was finding some sealife wandering among the strewn around garbage, most notably a crab. It was also interesting to find a gasoline canister. Perhaps it was thrown off a plane or boat. With how this side of the beach looked before cleaning it up, I would certainly keep it closed. It may not be the exact reason for why the area was actually closed, but I am sure no one would actually want to stay there among all the litter. I hope that everyone does a part in keeping all beaches clean, at the very least by disposing of things properly or picking up after others. When everyone contributes, no one has to bear all of the work.
Thank you,
Leonard Cheung
Attending this beach cleanup was definitely a wonderful experience for myself. That being my first time at Hanauma bay I assumed it being clean and safe for the ocean marine life however, I was wrong. Approaching further down the Bay I was surprised on how much microplastics and debris were left on the beach. From rope, plastic caps, and even huge buoys. I was in shook seeing a buoy washed up on the shore because it made me think “where did this come from?” and “how did it end up here?” In the end I am glad I attended and did my part because it was a great experience for myself and the community.
– Brock Jones
The highlight of the morning was being able to see the major difference of the before and after of how the beach looked. This section of the beach was littered with plastic and trash, making it a terrible sight to see. But afterwards the beach looked much better, the big pieces of trash being gone. I was surprised to find many odd objects and creatures. I had found a sea urchin skeleton which was an interesting thing to look at and smell. The main interesting thing I had seen though was a fish jaw! It was fascinating to see. I am glad to have been able to collaborate with another state and it was an amazing experience to be able to share with them! I look forward to future works like this where people come together to make a positive impact in our community!
– Momo Miyajima
Hi! My name is Sophia and I am a Freshman at Kaiser High School. The thing I was most surprised to see was the amount of plastic and debris washed up on the far side of the beach. The highlight of the day for me was being able to really make a difference in the short amount of time we had. We picked up so much trash and it definitely felt good helping our environment stay clean. One of the strangest things I found was a beaded bracelet.
– Sophia Magel
