Bali has been a tourist hotspot for many years, with millions of visitors flocking to the Indonesian island annually. While beautiful beaches and culture are everywhere – so is plastic. One British diver recently showed just how bad the problem is on a diving trip off the coast of Bali.
The video, featuring Richard Horner, shows plastic waste, bags, plastic baskets, straws, buckets, sheets, cups, bottles, and more, scattered throughout the sea. There appeared to not only be a thick layer of plastic waste on the water’s surface but covering the reefs as well.
Richard, who went diving to catch a glimpse of manta rays which use the area as a cleaning station, was horrified by what he saw. During his entire experience, he only sighted one ray.
According to Richard, who posted his video on Facebook, the manta rays probably “decided not to bother”.
“Surprise, surprise, there weren’t many mantas there at the cleaning station today,” he said.