Our Daily Ocean: Day 149

Last night as I sat on the beach, I watched as people moved their things back from the rising tide.  My kids were busy playing in the water, so I was content just sitting there.  Then it happened.  I looked at the tideline and started seeing the things that people had left behind start washing in and out with the tide.

So I got up and told my husband I was just going to pick up what was there.  But with every step, I kept seeing the exact same thing over and over again.  Cigarette butt, plastic, cigarette butt, plastic, cigarette butt.  What I thought was going to be a couple of minutes turned into me walking along the tideline for nearly 20 minutes.

During my walk, I leaned down to take a picture and pick up some cigarette butts when I heard someone say, "And they wonder why they want to ban smoking on the beach."  Of course, I smiled because every time I pick up a cigarette butt, I think the same thing.  We then had a nice conversation about how great it would be if people would just do the right thing and pick up after themselves.  But knowing it wasn't happening, we agreed that having our 3 beach towns ban smoking on the beach strands would be a major step in helping clean up our local beaches.  WHOA... rewind.  Yes, I said 3!! First Wrightsville Beach, then Carolina Beach and NOW Kure Beach is considering banning smoking on their beach strand!  WOOT!!  Kure Beach will be starting their conversation on this topic on July 19 @ 7PM.  The meeting is at: Town of Kure Beach, 117 Settlers Lane

When I finally sat back down at the end of my 20 minutes, I looked out and said, "Is that a cigarette butt??"  (See photo above)  Indeed it was.  Put out in the sand like our beach is an ashtray.

....and they wonder why... when I know why.

20 minutes on July 15, 2012 at Access 36

Litter by weight: 1 lb 5.6 oz
Cigarette butts: 133
Straws: 21

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 149 days:

48,032