There is nothing better than cooling off in the ocean on a hot day. So let us make sure our beaches stay beautifully healthy. Here are a few simple things you can do to make this practice sustainable.
Take 3 For The Sea
Not only should you always take your rubbish with you, but you could also try to take three other pieces of rubbish that you can find on the beach with you. Most Beaches even have rubbish bins conveniently located at the beach. By doing this you are contributing to reducing the amount of plastic in our ocean, that have a serious environmental impact on wildlife.
Use Mineral Sunscreen
According to Lauren Murphy “Mineral sunscreens […] physically block the sun’s rays from getting to your skin by using natural minerals, like zinc.” Most of us use a so-called chemical sunscreen, which protects us from the suns-rays through chemical reactions. During our beach trip, the sunscreen starts to wear off. This means all those chemicals make their way into the natural environment. According to Lauren Murphy eco-friendly alternatives are mineral sunscreens which “physically block the sun’s rays from getting to your skin by using natural minerals, like zinc.” You can also "look for sunscreens that say “Reef Friendly,” or have the “Reef Safe” symbol on it”, says Kristin Hermann.
Don’t Feed Wildlife
You might think you're doing that seagull a favour by sharing your chips since sharing is caring. But according to Kristin Hermann “human food will give them digestive problems, illness, and imbalance in the food web.” So it is best to not feed the wildlife and let them source their own food.
Stay off the dunes
Although it’s fun playing in the dunes, it’s best to stay out of them. Many beaches already have fences around them and they are there for a reason. Dunes are part of the Beaches ecosystem. By walking over them you might destroy some of the plants (spinifex, pigface) that are holding the sand of the dunes together with their roots. The dune can become unstable and lose its sand, which would destroy the ecosystem that makes a beach trip so nice.
