{"id":30206,"date":"2025-10-15T14:14:32","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T12:14:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oceanpulse.info\/?p=30206"},"modified":"2026-02-10T20:28:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T19:28:20","slug":"from-shoreline-to-shambles-ocean-pollution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oceanpulse.info\/en\/from-shoreline-to-shambles-ocean-pollution\/","title":{"rendered":"From Shoreline to Shambles"},"content":{"rendered":"
F<\/strong>rom Shoreline to Shambles: Why I Joined the Fight for Cleaner Beaches<\/h5>\n

I\u2019ve spent most of my life by the sea \u2014 both on it and in it \u2014 witnessing firsthand the devastating growth of ocean pollution<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Growing up in Italy, the beach was sacred. I was taught early to recycle, to respect the environment, and to leave places better than we found them. It was a family standard. Waste wasn\u2019t something we left behind. It was something we managed \u2014 together.<\/p>\n

When I arrived in Brazil, I was excited to explore new waters and teach kitesurfing on some of the most breathtaking beaches in the world. But what I found shocked me.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t get me wrong \u2014 the landscapes are beautiful, the wind is amazing, and the people I\u2019ve met have been some of the best. But the disregard for nature? It’s something I struggle to accept.
One of the first things I noticed was the beach BBQ culture. While the idea sounds fun, what\u2019s often left behind is appalling \u2014 scorched patches of sand, broken glass, plastic cutlery, and aluminum cans buried just beneath the surface.<\/p>\n

What frustrates me the most is seeing groups \u2014 often young people \u2014 treating the beach like it\u2019s a disposable party venue. I\u2019ve come back the next morning to teach lessons and found everything from plastic cups to dirty nappies scattered across the dunes. It\u2019s heartbreaking.<\/p>\n

And while I understand that everyone wants to enjoy the outdoors, there\u2019s a difference between celebration and neglect.<\/p>\n

\"Watersport<\/figure>\n
Kitesurfing Through Trash<\/h5>\n

As a kitesurfing instructor, I spend more time than most skimming the ocean\u2019s surface. Over the years, I\u2019ve noticed a troubling trend: trash is no longer something you sometimes see\u2026 it\u2019s a constant.<\/p>\n

Plastic bags floating like jellyfish. Food wrappers tangled around seaweed. Bottles bobbing just beneath the surface. I\u2019ve had kites snag on debris and students fall onto sharp objects buried in the sand.<\/p>\n

The ocean is becoming a landfill, and for those of us who rely on it \u2014 for work, for sport, for peace \u2014 it\u2019s personal.<\/p>\n

\"Plastic<\/p>\n

Why I Joined OceanPulse<\/h5>\n

I joined OceanPulse because Icouldn\u2019t keep watching it happen without doing something.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just about beach cleanups \u2014 although those are essential. It\u2019s about restoring respect. About education. About giving back to the very places that give us so much.<\/p>\n

\n

When I lead a cleanup, I see it click for people \u2014 the sheer volume of trash collected in just a few hours is shocking. I\u2019ve seen locals impressed, tourists apologize, and young kids become mini-environmentalists on the spot.<\/p>\n

Luke Riley<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s powerful. And it\u2019s necessary.<\/h5>\n

We\u2019ve created a culture of convenience \u2014 plastic everything, throwaway habits, and zero accountability. Overtourism only makes it worse. Towns built for 5,000 residents are welcoming 50,000 tourists in a season, and the infrastructure is still behind.
We need better policies, more education, and a global shift in how we see our coastlines.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Watersport<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n
The Ocean Has Given Me Everything<\/h5>\n

It taught me discipline, gave me a career, and showed me beauty beyond words. Now, I owe it something in return.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve ever felt that connection \u2014 standing on a board, wind in your sail, or just toes in the tide \u2014 then you know what I mean.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s protect the beaches we love.<\/p>\n

Join us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From Shoreline to Shambles: Why I Joined the Fight for Cleaner Beaches I\u2019ve spent most of my life by the sea \u2014 both on it and in it \u2014 witnessing…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":30898,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[303],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanpulse.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanpulse.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanpulse.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanpulse.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanpulse.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30206"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanpulse.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30206\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30435,"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanpulse.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30206\/revisions\/30435"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanpulse.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanpulse.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanpulse.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oceanpulse.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}